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BV  772  .J864  1864 
Junkin,  D.  X.  1808-1888. 
The  good  steward,  or, 
systematic  beneficence,  an 


MINISTRY  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH; 

*'  stewards  of  the  3Ii/stei'ies  of  God,'* 

THIS    LITTLE   VOLUME, 

UPON  A   SUBJECT  VITAL  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  SYSTEM, 

INDISPENSABLE  IN  THE  CHURCH'S  WARFARE, 

AND  ESSENTIAL  TO  HER  TRIUJIPH, 

IS    RESPECTFULLY  AND  AFFECTIONATELY   INSCUIBED   BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


THE  GOOD  STEWARD, 


SYSTEMATIC  BENEFICENCE 


AN   ESSENTIAL   ELEMENT    OE    CHRISTIANITY. 


BY 

REV.    D.    X.    JUNKIN,   D.D 


Occupy  till  I  come." — Luke  xix.  16. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTEKIAN  BOAED  OF  PUBLICATION, 

No.  821  Chestnut  Strekt. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1864,  by 

THE    TRUSTEES    OP    THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District 
of  Pennsylvania. 


STEREOTYPED  BY  'WILLIAJI   W.   HARDINQ. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEK  I. 

PAGE 

Introductory.  Christianity  a  system — A  system  of  life — Its 
end  the  glory  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  the  Church — Every 
part  of  a  system  necessary — Some  parts  of  the  Christian  sys- 
tem too  much  neglected — The  doctrine  and  duty  of  steward- 
ship especially — Object  of  this  treatise  stated 9 

CHAPTEK  II. 

Christianity  provides,  within  herself,  the  Elements  op 
Growth  and  Extension.  The  fruit  of  a  system  usually  its 
seed — So  in  religion — The  provisions  for  disseminating  reli- 
gion an  essential  part  thereof — Proof — From  the  nature  of  re- 
ligion— From  positive  commands  of  Christ — From  the  mo- 
rality of  the  gospel — From  the  marks  of  discipleship — From 
the  prescribed  worship  of  the  church The  Lord's  prayer...     15 

CHAPTEE  III. 

The  Scripture  Doctrine  op  Stewardship.  Antiquity  of  the 
oflSee — Definition — Explication  of  its  duties — The  doctrine  and 
duty  not  peculiar  to  our  fallen  state — Announced  in  Eden — 
Foundation  of  the  duty  the  sovereignty  of  God — This  shown  in 
the  covenant  of  works — Unfaithfulness  in  stewardship  the  first 

sin 24 

1*  5 


O  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE 

The  Doctkine  fakther  unfolded.  Man  a  tenant  at  will — 
Effect  of  the  full  upon  the  conditions  of  his  stewardship — The 
covenant  of  grace  an  emanation  of  sovereignty — Holds  man  a 
steward — Alike  under  every  dispensation  —  Noachic,  Abra- 
hainic,  Mosaic,  Christian — The  doctrine  both  scriptural  and 
rational — Taught  in  the  ancient  offerings — By  analogy  of  rea- 
son   30 

CHAPTER  V 

The  End  and  the  Motives  op  Stewardship.  God's  glory 
and  man's  welfare  the  end — Reasonableness  of  God's  claims 
— Harmony  of  this  twofold  end — Motives  of  human  actions  of 
two  classes — Love  and  fear — One  class  addressed  to  the  holy, 
the  other  to  the  unholy — Love  the  motive  to  beneficence — 
Danger  of  other  motives 37 

CHAPTER  YI. 

The  Rule  op  Stewardship.  The  word  of  God  the  rule — Every 
man  ought  to  consider  himself  a  steward  of  God — Ought  to 
seek  a  call  to  his  line  of  life — Diligence  required — Persever- 
ance in  industry — "  Retiring  from  business"  unlawful — Scrip- 
tural case  of  such — Responsibility  proportionate  to  "  several 
ability" — Christ's  estimate  of  giving — Beneficence  must  be 
cheerful — Unostentatious — Constant — Frequent — Systematic.     43 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Scripture  Plan  op  Beneficence.  Stated — Proved — The  plan 
a  corollary  of  the  doctrines — Offerings  of  property  always  a 
part  of  religious  worship — This  was  by  divine  appointment — 
Abel  offered  in  faith — The  patriarchs — Noah — Abraham — 
Jacob's  vow — Its  principle  incorporated  in  the  Mosaic  eco- 
nomy— Lessons  of  that  economy — Its  appropriateness  and  ra- 
tionality— The  synagogue  worship — Doing  alms  a  part  of  it — 
The  dependence  of  the  entire  system  of  worship  on  the  part 
consisting  of  beneficence— The  spirit  of  worship  the  same 
under  all  dispensations — Mistakes  refuted — What  meant  by  a 


CONTENTS.  i 

PAGB 

change  of  dispensation — The  new  economy  aims  at  a  vaster 
work,  and  needs  ampler  offerings — The  compulsory  feature 
of  the  ancient  system  removed,  but  the  moral  obligation 
strengthened 50 

CHAPTEK  VIIL 

Oblation  a  Part  op  Christian  Worship.  Definition  of  wor- 
ship— Proof  of  the  main  position  from  prophecy— From  the 
fact  that  Christ  destroyed  not  but  completed  the  law — From 
New  Testament  history — Christ's  example  and  teaching — 
Mary's  offering  and  its  lesson — Apostolic  institutions  and 
teaching — Judas  an  unfaithful  steward — Primitive  worship  as 
described  by  Luke — Communication  or  fellowship — Use  of 
the  term — Christian  church  modeled  after  the  synagogue — 
Testimony  of  the  early  fathers 63 

CHAPTER   IX. 

Additional  Proofs  that  Oblation  is  a  Part  op  Worship. 
From  the  ofl&ce  of  deacon — Liberality  of  the  primitive 
churches — The  case  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira — Apostolic  ordi- 
nation of  the  system  of  first-day  collections— The  system  no 
novelty 77 

CHAPTER   X. 

Beneficence  Part  of  Private  and  Family  Religion.  James' 
definition  of  religion — Job's  practice — Christ's  example  and 
teaching — Its  happy  influence  in  the  family — And  upon  the 
church 85 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Advantages  of  the  Scripture  Plan  of  Beneficence.  It 
operates  with  the  force  of  a  religious  obligation — Abates  the 
force  of  avarice — Produces  more  ample  results — Has  the  sanc- 
tion of  divine  analogy — The  power  of  the  littles — Derives  aid 
from  other  parts  of  Sabbath  worship — Secures  giving  from 
principle  and  not  from  impulse— If  God's  plan,  it  will  secure 
his  blessing 90 


O  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Systematic  Oblation  a  Means  op  Grace  and  Evangeliza- 
tion. God  works  by  means — Ignorance  of  the  modus  operandi 
no  objection  to  this — Meaning  of  the  term  grace — Oblation 
secures  temporal  prosperity — Illustrated  by  Israel's  history — 
Proven  by  Scripture — A  means  of  spiritual  grace — Reasons 
for  its  efficacy — Object  of  social  and  fiscal  inequalities — A 
dead  level  fatal — Circulation  necessary  to  health  and  life — 
Water — Exercise  necessary  to  growth — All  the  elements  of 
piety  brought  into  exercise  in  faithful  stewardship — It  is  a 
means  of  crucifying  the  flesh — Especially  of  covetousness — 
The  good  steward  characterized — Desires  wealth  but  not  for 
itself — Business^  with  him,  a  part  of  piety 93 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Oblation  a  Means  op  Grace  and  Evangelization.  Shown 
from  the  Mosaic  system — One  object  of  the  ceremonial  law  to 
keep  the  people  occupied — To  restrain  from  idolatry — Oblation 
well  adapted  to  do  this — It  is  a  means  of  laying  up  treasure 
in  heaven — Will  be  mentioned  at  the  final  judgment  as  evi- 
dence of  justification — Covetousness  assigned  as  the  ground 
of  the  curse — Necessary  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel 109 

CONCLUDING  APPEAL. 
An  Exhortation  to  faith  and  works 114 


THE  GOOD  STEWARD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Christianity  a  vital  system — Introductory. 

The  relio-ion  revealed  in  the  Bible  is  a  system. 

o 

Not,  indeed,  stated  with  didactic  formality;  but 
nevertheless  a  system,  harmonious  in  its  parts,  and 
complete  as  a  whole.  To  the  superficial  reader, 
its  facts  and  doctrines  may  seem  to  lie  in  confusion: 
but  it  is  not  to  the  superficial  observer  that  the 
systematic  structure  of  any  science  is  obvious.  He 
discovers  no  system  in  the  starry  heavens.  To 
him  confusion  seems  to  mark  the  movements  of  sun, 
and  moon,  and  stars,  and  world.  All  seem  to  lie 
in  gorgeous  chaos  in  the  bosom  of  night,  or  to  move 
in  paths  confused  and  conflicting  :  whilst,  to  the  eye 
of  philosophy,  they  exhibit  the  perfection  of  order, 
and  perform  their  movements  with  mathematical 
exactness.  So  of  Christianity.  To  the  careless 
glance,  it  may  appear  without  form  and  void ; 
whilst,  to  the  close  and  prayerful  student  of  its 
facts  and  doctrines,  it  presents  an  array  of  order, 
and  beauty,  and  fitness. 

9 


10  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

The  same  Spirit  who  ''hath  garnished  the 
heavens,"  hath  garnished  also  the  pages  of  the 
holy  Book :  and  if,  in  the  one  case  his  work  must 
be  studied,  in  order  to  the  disclosure  of  its  syste- 
matic glory,  so  must  it  in  the  other.  He,  who 
would  comprehend  the  perfection  of  order  with 
.which  the  planets  revolve,  must  study  the  solar 
system:  and  he,  who  would  discover  the  beauty 
and  harmony  with  which  each  star  of  truth,  that 
gems  the  spiritual  firmament,  revolves  around  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness,  must  study,  with  patience 
and  prayer,  the  Christian  system.  When  this  is 
done,  Christianity  will  be  spiritually  discerned, 
and  will  be  seen  to  be  "  a  building  fitly  framed  to- 
gether." Its  facts,  its  doctrines,  precepts,  promises, 
and  its  agents  and  modes  and  means  of  operation, 
all  will  be  discovered  to  be  parts  of  a  harmonious 
whole ;  mutually  dependent,  and  jointly  conducive 
to  the  glorious  end  to  which  it  is  adapted. 

That  end  is  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  salvation  of 
his  church  and  the  aggrandizement  of  his  eternal 
kingdom.  And  the  ultimate  result  of  this  stupen- 
dous scheme  will  be  the  perfect  union  under  Christ, 
and  the  perfect  blessedness,  in  him,  of  the  entire 
family  of  God — angels,  principalities,  powers,  and 
ransomed  men.  Its  grand  design,  as  expressed  by 
Paul  to  the  Ephesians,  is  "  That,  in  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fulness  of  times  he  might  gather  together 
in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven 
and  which  are  on  earth ;    to  the  intent  that  now 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  11 

unto  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places 
might  be  known  by  the  church  the  manifold  wis- 
dom of  God." 

To  accomplish  these  glorious  results,  Christianity 
is  a  perfect  instrumentality ;  not  as  a  dead  organ- 
ism, but  as  a  system  of  life,  deriving  its  efficiency 
from  "the  Spirit  of  life."  It  is  not  a  beautiful 
theory  slumbering  upon  the  sacred  page,  or  floating 
unpractised  in  the  intellect :  but  it  is  the  impulse 
and  the  guide  of  a  new  life  in  man.  Indeed  we 
would  not  apply  the  name  Christianity  to  the  sys- 
tem of  truth,  apart  from  the  life-giving  Spirit.  A 
human  body,  though  perfect  in  its  parts,  is  not  a 
man,  if  the  soul  be  absent.  The  system  of  sacred 
truth  becomes  Christianity  only  when,  by  the  Di- 
vine Spirit,  it  is  made  alive  and  operative  in  the 
hearts  and  practice  of  believers.  As  our  Lord  is 
called  Christ,  because  he  is  the  anointed  Mediator 
— anointed  by  the  immeasurable  unction  of  the 
Holy  Ghost :  so  the  gospel  scheme  becomes  Chris- 
tianity only  by  the  anointing  which  abideth  in  the 
believer,  and  teacheth  him  all  things.  1  John  ii.  27. 
Christianity  is  "  a  ministration  of  the  Spirit."  1  Cor. 
iii.  8.  It  is  "  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life,  making 
free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death."  Rom.  viii.  2. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  agent,  and  gospel  truth  the 
instrumentality,  by  which  "the  life  of  God  in  the 
soul  of  man"  is  begun,  developed,  and  perfected. 

Now  it  is  of  the  nature  of  a  system,  especially 
of  a  living  organism,  that  its  members  are  mutually 


12  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

dependent  and  jointly  conduce  to  the  designed  end. 
In  a  perfect  system  every  part  is  necessary.  The 
derangement  of  the  smallest  wheel  or  lever  may 
arrest  the  motion  of  a  vast  machine :  and  in  a  liv- 
ing body,  "if  one  member  suffer,  all  the  members 
suffer  with  it."  And  since  Christianity  is  a  divine 
constitution,  we  must  believe  it  to  be  perfect :  and 
we  ought  to  receive  the  system  entire^  and  bring  all 
its  parts  into  normal  operation.  If  the  injunction 
to  Moses,  concerning  the  mere  type  of  the  system, 
was,  "  See  that  thou  make  all  things  according  to 
the  pattern  showed  thee  in  the  mount;"  and  if  the 
smallest  pin  or  socket  of  the  tabernacle  was  as 
necessary  to  the  whole,  as  the  most'  gorgeous  of  its 
curtains;  we  must  not  deem  superfluous  any  of 
those  means,  by  which  God's  ransomed  ones  "  are 
builded  together  for  an  habitation  of  God,  through 
the  Spirit." 

But  has  it  not  been  the  crime  and  the  calamity 
of  the  church,  that,  with  rare  exceptions,  "  the  law 
of  the  Spirit  of  life"  has  obtained  only  a  partial 
sway  ?  That  the  system,  as  a  w^hole,  has  seldom 
been  brought  into  full,  free,  and  healthful  play  ? 
Have  not  men  too  boldly  dared  to  divide  the  ele- 
ments of  Christianity  into  the  essential  and  non- 
essential ;  the  important  and  the  unimportant ;  as- 
suming the  prerogative  of  judging  what  parts  shall 
have  prominence,  and  what  parts  may  be  neglected  ? 
Has  not  the  injunction,  "prophecy  according  to 
the  proportion  [analogy]  of  faith,"  been  too  little 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  13 

heeded;  and  have  we  not  consequently  "failed  to 
declare  all  the  counsel  of  God  ?"  And  has  not  this 
lack  of  a  fall  and  proportionate  development  of  the 
elements  of  the  new  life  rendered  its  growth  sickly 
and  distorted?  We  cannot  doubt  it,  and  are  of 
opinion  that,  until  the  whole  Christian  system  is 
brought  into  normal  and  complete  operation,  it  is 
not  reasonable  to  hope,  that  the  church  will  "-grow 
up  into  him  in  all  things,  which  is  the  head,  even 
Christ ;  from  whom  the  whole  body  fitly  joined  to- 
gether and  compacted  by  that  which  every  joint 
supplieth,  according  to  the  effectual  working  in  the 
measure  of  every  part,  maketh  increase  of  the 
whole  body  unto  the  edifying  of  itself  in  love." 
Eph.  iv.  15, 16.  And  of  all  the  parts  of  the  Chris- 
tian system  none  has  been  more  neglected  than  the 
doctrine  and  the  duty  of  Christian  stewardship^  or 
evangelical  beneficence.  This  neglect,  perhaps  more 
than  any  other  cause,  has  proved  a  hindrance  to 
the  success  of  the  gospel. 

Thus  impressed,  it  shall  be  the  aim  of  the  writer, 
in  the  following  pages,  to  unfold  and  enforce  the 
doctrine  and  the  duty  of  Christian  stewardship  :  to 
show  that  it  is  an  essential  element  of  Christianity ; 
that  its  principles  are  part  of  the  system  of  Chris- 
tian faith,  and  its  duties  an  indispensable  part  of 
Christian  practice ;  that  it  is  a  part  of  religious 
worship,  and  an  important  means  of  grace ;  and  is 
therefore  as  strictly  a  portion  of  our  holy  religion 
as  are  preaching,  prayer,  praise,  and  the  sacra- 
2 


14  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

merits ;  that  it  is  the  element  of  the  Christian  sys- 
tem upon  which  are  largely  dependent  the  perfec- 
tion of  Christian  character,  the  extension  of  the 
gospel,  the  triumph  of  the  church,  and  the  mani- 
festation of  the  glory  of  God;  and  that  conse- 
quently to  neglect  systematic  beneficence  is  to  ne- 
glect a  most  important  part  of  practical  piety. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  15 


CHAPTER   II. 

Christianity  provides,  within  herself,  the  elements  of  her  own 
growth  and  perpetuity — These  are  of  her  own  essence. 

We  have  said  that  Christianity  is  a  vital  sys- 
tem. Now  an  important  part  of  such  a  system  is 
that,  in  which  provision  is  made  for  its  own  growth, 
completion  and  perpetuity.  An  important  part  of 
vegetable  organization  is  that  which  provides  for  re- 
producing and  disseminating  the  tree  or  plant. 
For  the  most  part  it  is  the  fruit,  the  useful  part  of 
the  vegetable  that  contains  its  seed :  and  to  de- 
stroy its  fruit-producing  organism  would  be  to  an- 
nihilate its  species.  And  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is 
the  seed  of  the  church.  When,  therefore,  our  Lord 
compared  his  kingdom  to  a-  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
he  taught  that  it  contains  within  itself  the  elements 
of  its  own  growth :  that  it  embodies  principles  of 
life  and  extension,  the  development  of  which,  like 
the  growth  of  the  mustard  seed,  will  result  in  its 
own  enlargement  and  perpetuity.  And  the  word 
of  God  fully  sustains  the  position  that  the  doctrines 
and  duties  of  Christian  stewardship  constitute  that 
part  of  the  rejigion  of  Christ,  in  which  provision  is 


16  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

made  for  the   extension  and  maintainance  of  the 
whole  system. 

We  use  the  term  stewardship,  in  its  most  com- 
prehensive sense,  to  embrace  all  good  works,  and  the 
principles  from  which  they  spring.  The  faithful 
stewardship,  the  regular  beneficence  of  Christians 
is  at  once  the  fruit  and  the  seed  of  Christianity :  it 
is  the  leaven  that  shall  leaven  the  whole  lump  of 
ransomed  men.  It  is  the  instrumentality  by  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  comes  on  the  great  evangelizing 
work  :  and  we  say  it  is  of  the  essence  of  the  system 
of  religion,  that  is  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
By  this  we  mean  that  a  man  cannot  be  a  Christian, 
without  adopting  principles  and  feeling  motives  of 
action,  that  will  lead  him  to  perform  at  least  some 
of  those  duties,  which  make  up  the  system  of  in- 
strumentalities, through  which  Christ  is  to  receive 
"  the  Heathen  for  his  inheritance  and  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession  ;"  and  we  further 
say  that  no  society  can  scripturally  claim  to  be  a 
Christian  church,  that  does  not  propose,  as  one 
object  of  her  organization,  the  extension  of  the 
Christian  religion.  We  do  not  say  that  the  indi- 
vidual or  the  church,  that  does  not  do  all  that 
God  requires,  thereby  forfeits  Christian  character. 
But  we  do  say  that  the  man,  who  has  never  felt  the 
love  of  Christ  constraining  him  to  do  something  in 
this  work,  has  not  the  proper  evidence  in  his  own 
heart,  and  afifords  none  to  others,  that  he  is  a  con- 
verted man  :  and  that  the  church,  thai  does  nothing 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  17 

in  this  work,  ignores  or  rejects  a  part  of  the  Chris- 
tian system. 

Now,  Christian  reader,  if  we  shall  succeed  in 
proving  these  positions,  from  the  word  of  God; 
we  trust  that  you  will  promptly  strive  to  come  your- 
self and  bring  the  church  to  which  you  belong  effi- 
ciently up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord.  Our  statement 
is,  that  to  do  good  to  others  and  to  labour  for  the 
world's  conversion,  are  Christian  duties ;  and  that 
the  performance  of  these  duties,  and  the  cultivation 
of  the  graces  necessary  thereto,  are  essential  parts 
of  practical  Qhristianity .     This  we  prove, 

I.  From  the  nature  of  religion  as  described  by 
Christ  himself.  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to 
a  grain  of  mustard  seed  :"  and  again  "  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  like  to  leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and 
hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  was 
leavened."  These  two  parables  are  designed  to 
illustrate  the  diffusive  and  assimilating  tendency  of 
the  gospel.  True  religion  consists  in  a  willing 
submission  to  the  reign  of  heaven's  King :  hence 
it  is  called,  in  these  parables,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  i.  e.  the  system  whereby  Christ,  the  King 
of  heaven,  brings  men  to  be  his  willing  subjects, 
and  reigns  in  and  over  them. 

When  that  religion  has  been  implanted  in  the 
heart,  it  will  extend  its  influence,  until  the  whole 
man  is  brought  under  its  sway  :  And  so  in  the 
church,  so  in  the  world.  It  is  the  nature  of  a 
mustard  seed,  when  properly  planted,  to  grow  and 


18  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

produce  the  largest  lierb,  that  comes  from  so  small 
a  seed,  so  large  that  it  ofters  shelter  to  the  birds  of 
the  air.  It  is  the  nature  of  religion,  when  really 
planted  in  the  soul,  not  only  to  grow  within 
that  soul,  but  to  put  forth  its  branches,  to  extend 
aid,  shelter,  and'  consolation  to  others.  Like 
the  mustard  seed,  there  is  in  it  a  principle  of  life, 
which  tends  both  to  growth  and  propagation.  It  is 
the  nature  of  leaven  to  assimilate  to  itself  the 
adjacent  particles  of  the  meal,  "  until  the  whole  is 
leavened."  So  it  is  the  nature  of  Christianity  to 
extend  its  influence  in  the  soul,  until  all  the  powers 
and  affections  are  assimilated  to  its  own  nature,  and 
the  whole  man  is  renewed.  And  what  is  true  of 
the  individual  is  true  of  the  church.  It  is  the  nature 
of  the  gospel  seed,  when  planted  in  society,  to  grow 
and  become  a  fruitful  tree,  offering  shelter  and  re- 
freshment to  all  around,  and  bearing  seed  for  dis- 
semination throughout  the  earth. 

It  is  the  nature  of  gospel  leaven,  when  deposited 
in  a  community,  to  extend  its  influence  and  assimi- 
late, until  the  whole  man  is  leavened.  If  the  seed, 
when  planted,  grows  not,  we  infer  that  it  was  dead  ; 
if  the  leaven,  when  placed  in  moistened  meal,  spread 
not,  we  infer  that  it  was  not  genuine.  The  inherent 
tendency  of  gospel  religion  is  to  universal  diffusion  ; 
and  the  man  whose  religion  is  not  of  this  nature, 
and  who  is  not  impelled,  by  its  influence,  to  do 
something  to  impart  it  to  others,  ought  to  doubt 
its  genuineness.     We  prove  our  position, 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  19 

II.  From  positive  commands  of  Christ.  ''  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature  :"  taken  in  connection  with  Paul's  declara- 
tion to  the  Romans,  "  How  shall  they  hear  without  a 
preacher  ?  And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they 
be  sent  ?" — Christ's  injunction,  "Pray  ye  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest,  that  he  will  send  forth  labourers  into 
his  harvest,"  and  that  of  the  Spirit  by  Solomon, 
"  Honour  the  Lord  with  thy  substance,  and  with 
the  first  fruits  of  all  thine  increase."  These  and 
many  other  similar  texts  are  positive  commands ;  and 
is  it  not  a  part  of  the  Christian  religion  to  obey  the 
commands  of  Christ  ?  Has  that  man  good  evidence 
of  his  piety,  who  lives  in  habitual  neglect  of  any  of 
his  commands  ?  Do  you,  reader,  plead  exception  ? 
So  may  others,  and  all  Christians  in  detail,  and 
thus  Christ's  work  will  remain  undone.  We  main- 
tain our  position, 

III.  From  the  nature  of  the  gosjoel  morality 
"  Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  Avould  that 
men  shall  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  unto  them." 
"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself."  Here 
is  the  sum  of  all  that  relates  to  the  duty  of  man  to 
man.  Now,  Christian,  imagine  yourself  a  pagan. 
Suppose  you  had  heard,  in  your  land  of  darkness, 
that  a  people,  dwelling  in  America,  possessed  a  book 
clearly  attested  to  be  a  revelation  from  the  Supreme 
God  :  a  book  that  told  of  an  eternal  hell  and  an 
eternal  heaven,  and  revealed  the  only  way  in  which 
that  hell  could  be  avoided  and  that  heaven  attained, 


20  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

would  you  not  desire  that  the  Americans  would  send 
you  that  book  and  teach  you  the  way  of  salvation  ? 
And  if  you  were  told  that  this  book  itself  made  it 
the  duty  of  those  who  possess  it  to  spread  the 
knowledge  it  contains,  would  you  not  be  amazed  if 
no  books  were  sent,  and  year  after  year  pass,  and 
no  one  came  to  tell  you  of  this  salvation  ?  And 
would  you  not  be  still  more  amazed,  if  told  that 
professing  believers  of  the  word  of  life  failed  to  send 
it  to  you,  because  of  their  love  of  money ^  and  eager- 
ness for  amassing  worMly  wealth  ?  Have  you  done 
to  others,  as  you  would  wish  them  to  do  to  you  if 
your  condition  were  exchanged  for  theirs  ?  Po  you 
love  your  neighbour  as  yourself?  Perhaps  you 
suppose  that  the  heathen  man  is  not  your  neighbour. 
Go  learn  from  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan, 
that  every  man  is  your  neighbour,  to  whom  you  may 
do  good.  Such  is  the  Gospel  morality :  and  it  is 
part  of  our  holy  religion.  The  man,  therefore,  who 
neglects  Christian  beneficence,  omits  an  essential 
part  of  the  Christian  religion.  We  prove  our 
position, 

IV.  From  the  marJcs  of  disciplesJiip .  How  are 
you  to  know  that  you  are  a  Christian?  *'  The  Spirit 
itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirits  that  we  are 
the  children  of  God."  But  how  is  his  testimony 
borne?  By  describing,  in  the  written  word,  the 
inward  graces  and  outward  fruits  which  will  always 
characterize  the  true  believer;  and  by  ^'working in 
us  both  to  will  and  to   do,"   thus  producing  the 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  21 

graces  and  tlie  fruits  by  which  the  man  is  known  to 
be  a  Christian.  It  is  by  this  process  that  ''our 
calling  and  election  is  made  sure"  to  ourselves  and 
others. 

What,  then,  are  those  fruits,  by  which  the  Spirit 
witnesses  that  we  are  the  children  of  God  ?  We 
cannot  detail  them  all  here  :  a  few  will  suffice.  Said 
Paul  to  the  Galatians,  "  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is 
love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness, 
faith."  Said  the  beloved  Disciple,  "We  know  that 
we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  loe  love 
the  brethren  :  but  whoso  hath  this  world's  good,  and 
seeth  his  brother  have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his 
bowels  of  compassion  from  him,  how  dwelleth  the 
love  of  Gad  in  him  ?"  "  Now  if  any  m.an  have  not 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  he  is  none  of  his,"  said  Paul  to 
the  Romans;  and  to  the  Philippians  he  said,  "Let 
this  mind  be  in  you  that  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus." 
And  the  mind  or  disposition  here  intended,  is  a 
willingness  to  make  sacrifices  for  the  good  of  others  ; 
for  in  the  next  verse  he  adds,  "  who  being  in  the 
form  of  God  *  *  *  humbled  himself  and  be- 
came obedient  to  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross."  And  in  his  second  letter  to  Corinth,  the 
same  Apostle  says,  "  For  ye  know  the  grace  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for 
your  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  ye,  through  his 
poverty,  might  be  rich."  And  Jesus  himself  de- 
clares, "  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him 
deny  himself  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me." 


22  THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  ' 

Such  are  some  of  the  marks  of  the  real  Christian, 
love,  compassion,  charity,  goodness,  self-denial  for 
the  good  of  others.  And  if  you  lack  these,  do  you 
not  lack  essential  parts  of  true  religion  ?  And  we 
prove  our  statement, 

V.  From  the  fact  that  fart  of  the  prescribed 
ivorship  of  our  religion  has  direct  reference  to  its 
own  spread  and  perpetuity.  A  separate  chapter 
will  be  occupied  with  the  proof  that  beneficence  is 
a  part  of  worship.  All  we  shall  here  attempt,  is  to 
show  that  Christian  worship  contemplates  the  duties 
of  stewardship  and  provides  for  the  performance 
of  them. 

Prayer  is  a  part  of  Christian  worship  and,  in 
teaching  them  to  pray,  Christ  gave  to  his  disciples 
a  w^onderfully  comprehensive  summary  of  prayer, 
which  embraces  the  substance  of  all  that  man  need 
ask  of  God.  The  style  of  this  prayer  recognizes 
the  social  principle  in  worship,  and  intimates  that 
*'we  should  pray  with  and  for  others."  The  plu- 
ral is  used,  ''Our  Father,"  not  w??/ father.  And  how 
much  of  the  Lord's  prayer  relates  to  the  glorify- 
ing of  God,  in  the  universal  spread  of  the  Gospel  ? 
Just  one  half.  Three,  out  of  the  six  petitions, 
lead  us  to  pray  that  God's  name  may  be  hallowed, 
that  his  kingdom  may  come,  and  his  will  be  done  on 
earth  as  in  heaven.  Now  if  we  leave  out,  in  our 
regular  supplications,  one  half  of  the  Lord's  prayer, 
neglecting  to  embrace  in  them  one  half  of  the  topics 
he  has  commanded,  do  we  not  omit  an  essential  part 


THE  GOOD  stewahd.  23 

of  worsliip  ?  And  the  same  Is  true  of  the  omission 
of  the  prayer  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  send 
forth  labourers  into  his  harvest.  But  the  man  who 
asks  God  for  a  benefit,  and  yet  neglects  to  use,  ac- 
cording to  his  ability,  the  means  which  God  has  ap- 
pointed for  obtaining  the  benefit  sought,  "  asks 
amiss" — does  not  truly  pray  at  all. 

Arguments  might  be  accumulated.  But  we  trust 
the  position  is  sufficiently  established,  that  the  em- 
ployment of  the  means,  prescribed  in  the  Bible,  for 
the  comfort  of  the  poor  and  sufi'ering,  and  for  the 
advancement  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  is  a  duty 
obligatory  upon  every  Christian  ;  and  that  the  per- 
formance of  this  duty,  and  the  cultivation  of  the 
graces  necessary  thereto,  is  an  essential  part  of  our 
holy  religion.  Of  the  means  enjoined  for  this 
glorious  purpose,  the  faithful  stewardship  of  God's 
temporal  bounty,  or  systematic  beneficence,  is  an 
important  part. 


24  THE    GOOB    STEWARD. 


CHAPTER    III. 

The  Scripture  doctrine  of  stewardship. 

The  office  of  steward  is  one  of  great  antiquity. 
It  existed  in  the  days  of  Abraham,  (Gen.  xv.  2,)  and 
probably  at  an  earlier  period :  and  in  families  of 
distinction,  in  the  east,  it  exists  at  the  present  day. 
A  steward  is  distinguished  from  an  ordinary  ser- 
vant, in  that  the  affairs  of  his  master  are  more  un- 
reservedly entrusted  to  him  :  in  the  management  of 
them,  he  is  expected  to  exercise  his  best  discretion, 
without  minute  directions  from  his  master;  he  is 
held  responsible  for  the  vprosperity  of  the  estate, 
and  upon  that  prosperity  his  own  reward  is  usually 
made  to  depend ;  so  that  his  interests  are  identified 
with  his  lord's.  Under  his  master's  general  direc- 
tions, the  steward  is  a  free,  and  therefore  a  respon- 
sible agent. 

In  the  Scriptures,  men  are  said  to  be  stewards 
of  God,  when  they  are  entrusted  with  a  portion  of 
his  earthly  estate,  or  with  any  of  the  affairs  of  his 
kingdom,  to  be  managed  for  his  glory  and  the  good 
of  his  household.     Thus   the    apostles   are   called 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  25 

"Stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God,"  1  Cor.  iv.  1, 
being  entrusted  with  the  organization  of  the  new 
economy  of  the  church,  and  with  the  dispensation 
of  the  word  and  ordinances.  So  also  a  minister  of 
religion  is  called  "A  steward  of  God."  Tit.  i.  7; 
Luke  xii.  47.  And  all  believers  are  required 
to  be  *'  Good  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of 
God,"  1  Pet.  iv.  10,  i.  e.,  to  be  faithful  managers 
of  the  various  gifts  and  talents  they  may  possess ; 
amongst  which  "Manifold  graces"  the  charitable 
use  of  property  is  included  as  is  evident  from  the 
context. 

In  an  extensive  sense,  then,  the  Christian  doc- 
trine of  stewardship  may  be  thus  stated.  Men 
have  received  from  God,  in  trust  for  special  pur- 
poses, all  they  possess  ;  whether  it  be  bodily  or  men- 
tal endowments,  education,  grace,  social  position 
and  influence,  power  or  property:  and  they  are 
under  obligations  wisely,  diligently,  and  faithfully 
to  employ  them,  for  the  purposes  specified  in  the 
deed  of  trust.  The  deed  of  trust  is  God's  word ; 
and,  as  we  shall  see,  the  objects  specified  are  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  of  all,  and  the  good  of  the  world. 
This  doctrine  is  explicitly  taught  by  Christ  himself, 
in  the  parable  of  the  talents.  Matt.  xxv.  14-30, 
and  elsewhere ;  and  indeed  it  pervades  the  entire 
Bible. 

The  doctrine  of  stewardship  is  not  peculiar  to  our 
fallen  condition.  It  was  announced  to  man  before 
the  fall ;  and   it  is  applicable  alike  to  the  highest 


26  THE    GOOD   STEWARD. 

and  the  lowest  of  God's  intelligent  creatures.  The 
loftiest  angel,  as  well  as  the  lowliest  man,  is  but  a 
steward  of  his  powers  and  possessions.  Each  is 
bound  ^'  to  love  the  Lord  his  God  with  all  his 
heart,  and  soul,  and  mind,  and  strength,  and  his 
neighbour  as  himself;"  and  a  faithful  stewardship, 
on  the  part  of  each,  is  but  the  appropriate  ex- 
pression of  that  love,  by  the  performance  of  the 
duties  belonging  to  his  station  and  his  circum- 
stances. 

The  fall  of  man  has  changed  the  circumstances, 
and  modified  the  motives  of  his  stewardship,  but  it 
has  not  affected  the  original  foundation  of  the  duty. 
He  is  not  now  placed  in  "  the  garden  of  Eden  to 
dress  it  and  to  keep  it,"  but  he  is  still  in  a  vineyard 
of  the  Lord,  planted,  it  is  true,  in  a  sin-blighted  and 
barren  world,  but  still  the  more  loudly  calling  for 
wise  and  diligent  culture,  and  yielding  fruits  more 
fragrant  even,  and  more  promotive  of  the  master's 
glory,  than  those  which  clustered  on  the  boughs  of 
Paradise. 

It  may  facilitate  a  clear  conception  of  our  sub- 
ject to  consider, 

I.  The  foundation  of  the  duty  of  Christian  stew- 
ardship. It  is  the  same  with  that  of  all  moral 
obligation,  viz.,  the  sovereignty  of  God.  Why  am 
I  bound  to  perform  any  duty?  Because  it  is  the 
will  of  God.  But  why  am  I  obliged  to  obey  his 
will?  Because  he  is  my  sovereign:  i.  e.,  because 
he  is  the  self-existent,  supreme  and  perfect  Being, 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  27 

who  created,  upholds,  and  protects  me  ;  and  because 
I  am  absolutely  dependent  upon  him,  and  he  has 
absolute  authority  over  me :  The  basis  of  moral 
obligation,  which  God  himself  lays  down,  is  his  self- 
existence  and  sovereign  authority  ;  and  under  every 
dispensation  this  is  presented  as  the  foundation  of 
the  duty  of  stewardship.  In  the  Paradisial  economy, 
the  great  lesson  was :  the  Creator  is  absolute  sover- 
eign and  owner ;  the  creature  is  the  subject  and 
steward.  Gen.  ii.  8-17.  It  was  the  Lord  God  who 
planted  the  garden,  and  made  the  trees  to  grow. 
He  "  took  the  man  and  put  him  into  the  garden  of 
Eden."  "The  Lord  God  commanded  the  man," 
and  the  command  itself  was  an  explicit  asser- 
tion of  sovereignty.  The  grant  of  every  tree 
of  the  garden  was  the  grant  of  the  owner  and 
Lord  Paramount.  The  one  tree  was  reserved, 
as  a  memorial  of  God's  sovereign  ownership  of  all : 
as  the  one  day  of  the  week  had  been  "sanctified" 
as  a  memorial  of  his  ownership  of  all  man's  time. 
The  very  question  to  be  tested,  in  the  covenant  of 
probation,  was  whether  man  would  yield  implicit 
obedience  to  God  as  a  sovereign.  The  thing 
forbidden  was  not  in  itself  wrong,  but  indifferent. 
From  murder  or  falsehood,  or  any  thing  in  itself 
morally  wrong,  man's  holy  nature  would  have 
shrunk,  and  it  would  have  been  no  test.  But  he 
could  see,  and  it  was  designed  he  should  see,  no 
reason  for  obeying  the  prohibition  except  that  it  w^aa 
the  will  of  his  Maker  and  Father  :  and  he  was  put 


28  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

to  the  test,  whether  he  would  obey  Jehovah's 
naked  command,  simply  because  he  was  his  Sover- 
eign. 

Nor  is  the  doctrine  of  stewardship  less  dis- 
tinctly taught  in  this  brief  story  of  man's  primal 
condition.  He  was  "put"  into  the  garden, 
not  as  absolute  owner,  but  "  to  dress  it  and  to 
keep  it."  And  all  the  particulars,  of  his  investi- 
ture into  that  beautiful  estate,  conclusively  show 
that  he  held  it  as  a  vassal  of  the  Lord  of  the 
whole  earth ;  for  whose  glory  he  was  bound  to 
use  it. 

Nor  should  we  fail  to  notice  the  instructive  fact, 
tbat  the  first  covenant  was  broken  by  a  viola- 
tion, of  the  condition  of  his  stewardship.  God  had 
reserved  one  tree,  or,  as  some  suppose,  a  species  of 
tree,  as  an  evidence  of  his  ownership  of  all :  and  the 
first  sin  was  a  coveting  of  God's  reserved  property  ; 
a  taking  of  God's  share,  in  addition  to  that  which 
he  had  freely  given  to  man.  Indeed  the  first  sin 
was.  in  a  sense,  an  act  of  unfaithful  stewardship  : 
sad  type  of  that  grasping  covetousness  which,  in  all 
succeeding  time,  has  done  so  much  to  dishonour 
God  and  ruin  man. 

And  Jehovah  is  not  only  our  Sovereign,  but  also 
"  God  over  all" — Sovereign  of  the  universe — abso- 
lute owner  of  all  things.  "  The  earth  is  the  Lord's 
and  the  fullness  thereof:  the  world  and  they  that 
dwell  therein."  Ps.  xxiv.  1.  "  Behold  the  heaven 
and  the  heaven  of  heavens  is  the  Lord's  thy  God, 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  29 

the  earth  also  and  all  that  therein  is."  Deut. 
x'.  14.  "  The  silver  is  mine  and  the  gold  is  mine, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  Hag.  ii.  8.  Man  is 
therefore  a  mere  tenant  at  will.  He  is  absolute 
owner  of  nothing.  Even  he  himself  is  not  his  own. 
He  is  simply  a  steward. 
3* 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  doctrine  of  stewardship  further  imfolded — How  airected 
by  the  fall — Bj'-  the  covenant  of  grace — The  Abrahamic  dis- 
pensation— The  Mosaic — The  Christian — Both  Scriptural 
and  rational. 

We  have  seen  that  man  in  innocence  was  a  mere 
tenant  at  will  of  this  world's  goods  ;  and  if  so,  much 
more  is  man  fallen.  By  the  fall  he  forfeited  life 
itself,  and  of  course  every  other  benefit ;  and  could 
lay  no  independent  claim  to  any  possession.  And 
although  the  new  and  better  covenant,  which  was 
announced  before  the  expulsion,  makes  provision 
for  the  restoration  to  believers  of  all  that  was  lost 
by  the  fall ;  yet  it  gives  no  absolute  and  independent 
title  to  the  benefits  restored.  The  covenant  of 
grace  is  itself  an  emanation  of  sovereignty  ;  of  sove- 
reign love.  It  was  designed,  not  to  render  man 
more  independent  of  his  God,  nor  to  release  him 
from  the  condition  of  a  steward ;  but  to  bring  him 
into  a  state  of  closer  dependence,  and  to  sweeten 
the  duties  of  his  stewardship,  by  leading  him  to 
perform  them  under  the  promptings  of  filial  love. 
Accordingly  under  the  covenant  of  grace,  whether 
dispensed  through  the  ritual  law,  or  under  the  freer 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  31 

ministration  of  the  Spirit,  God  is  still  the  sovereign 
master,  and  man  the  dependent  steward.  In  the 
offerings  brought  by  the  antediluvian  patriarchs, 
they  acknowledged  their  accountability  to  God  as 
his  stewards.  And  when,  after  the  flood  God  re- 
stored to  Noah  the  possession  of  the  earth,  and  con- 
fessed a  reinvestiture,  the  language  he  employs,  is 
the  language  of  a  lord  introducing  his  vassal  to  his 
trust-hold.  See  Gen.  ix.  1-17. 

In  the  Abrahamic  dispensation  the  same  great 
principles  are  prominent.  The  call  of  Abraham 
was  the  act  of  a  sovereign ;  his  obedience  that  of  a 
faithful  steward.  The  covenant  made  with  him, 
the  grant  of  Canaan ;  his  payment  of  tithes  to 
Melchizedek  the  "priest  of  the  most  high  God, 
possessor  of  heaven  and  earth ;"  the  sacrifice  of 
Isaac  upon  God's  demand,  all  forcefully  teach  the 
same  great  lesson.  Gen.  xii.  and  xxii. 

And  with  equal  distinctness  and  greater  fre- 
quency is  the  doctrine  of  stewardship,  as  resting 
upon  that  of  the  divine  supremacy,  taught  in  the 
Mosaic  economy.  In  the  preface  to  the  decalogue, 
God  lays  down  the  doctrine  of  his  own  self-existence 
and  sovereignty  as  the  basis  of  moral  obligation. 
"  I  am  Jehovah  thy  God."  Exod.  xx.  2.  It  is  true 
he  superadds,  by  way  of  special  appeal  to  the  Is- 
raelites, "  Which  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage  :"  and  the  fact 
that  they  "are  bought  with  a  price,"  adds  a  cord 
of  love,  ineffably  tender  to  the  bonds  of  duty  as 


32  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

resting  upon  Christians:  but  the  original  ground 
of  moral  obligation  is  the  sovereignty  of  God.  Is- 
rael was  bound  to  love  and  serve  him,  even  if  he 
had  never  delivered  them  from  bondage.  Man  was 
bound  to  serve  God  even  before  he  needed  redemp- 
tion :  and  is  still  so  bound  simply  as  a  creature  of 
God.  In  cases,  almost  countless,  the  declaration, 
*'  I  am  Jehovah" — "  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,"  is 
made  as  the  foundation  of  obedience.  See  Lev.  xviii. 
and  xix.  chapters.  And  this  is  adduced  as  the 
ground  of  obligation  to  obey  all  sorts  of  laws,  moral, 
municipal,  and  ceremonial ;  and  especially  as  the 
basis  of  the  duty  of  charity.  Lev.  xix.  9,  10,  and 
xxiii.  22. 

The  entire  system  of  oflferings,  too,  prescribed  in 
the  ceremonial  law,  whilst  it  ministered  to  other 
ends,  enforced  the  same  doctrines,  and  was  indeed 
a  system  of  beneficence.  One  great  lesson  which  it 
taught,  was  that  everything  belonged  to  God,  and 
that,  therefore,  we  ought  to  "  honour  the  Lord  with 
our  substance."  The  offerings  for  the  first  born, 
and  of  the  first  fruits,  were  designed  to  secure  a 
systematic  and  perpetual  acknowledgment  that  God 
is  rightful  owner  of  both  the  people  and  their  pro- 
perty, and  that  all  should  be  employed  in  his  service 
and  for  his  glory. 

Nor  does  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation render  man  or  the  tenure  of  his  property 
less  dependent.  The  gospel,  as  emphatically  as 
the  law,  teaches  the  sovereignty  and  the  claims  of 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  33 

Jehovah.  The  gentle  voice  of  Jesus  reiterates  the 
same  lesson  which  he  had  taught  in  Eden,  and 
thundered  at  Sinai ;  God's  sovereignty,  and  man's 
obligation.  The  gospel  teaches  that  redeemed 
man  is,  if  possible,  more  completely  the  property 
of  God,  and  under  increased  obligation  to  serve  him 
as  a  faithful  steward.  It  assures  us  that  the  church 
of  God,  '^he  hath  purchased  with  his  own  blood." 
Acts  XX.  28.  That  "None  of  us  liveth  to  himself, 
and  no  man  dieth  to  himself;  for  whether  we 
live,  we  live  unto  the  Lord ;  and  whether  ^ye  die,  we 
die  unto  the  Lord.  Whether  we  live  therefore  or 
die  we  are  the  Lord's :  For,  to  this  end  Christ 
both  died,  and  rose,  and  revived,  that  he  might  be 
Lord  both  of  the  dead  and  living."  Rom.  xiv. 
7-9.  It  declares  to  believers,  "  Ye  are  not  your 
own,  ye  are  bought  with  a  price,  therefore  glorify 
God  in  your  body,  and  in  your  spirit,  which  are 
God's."  1  Cor.  vi.  19,  20.  If  it  were  possible 
to  strengthen  a  claim  already  perfect,  the  title 
of  God  our  Saviour  to  his  people  and  to  all 
they  possess  would  seem  stronger  under  the  gos- 
pel, than  under  the  first  covenant :  for  as  Re- 
deemer, and  the  author  of  "  a  new  creation,"  he 
has  added  to  his  original  claim  the  right  of 
purchase. 

It  is  true  that  the  gospel  draws  men  to  the  faith- 
ful exercise  of  their  stewardship  "  with  bands  of 
love"  rather  than  with  the  sterner  cords  of  justice; 
yet,  whilst  love  is  the  motive,  the  sovereign  demand 


34  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

of  God  is  the  foundation  of  the  duty.  The  law 
still  demands  the  homage  of  men,  with  a  voice  stern 
as  the  thunders  amid  which  it  was  given,  and  in 
virtue  of  a  claim  old  as  creation  and  stable  as  the 
throne  of  God  :  and  whilst  the  gospel  superadds  a 
a  more  tender  claim,  a  title  sealed  with  blood,  it 
relaxes  not  the  immutable  obligations  of  justice. 
To  fail  in  the  duties  of  Christian  beneficence  is, 
therefore,  not  a  mere  lack  of  gratitude.  It  is  un- 
faithfulness in  stewardship.  It  is  the  violation  of 
a  trust.  It  is  the  perpetration  of  a  wrong  upon 
our  sovereign  Lord. 

Such  is  the  scriptural  foundation  of  the  duty  of 
stewardship.  And,  if  tested  by  right  reason,  it  will 
appear  as  rational  as  it  is  scriptural.  Upon  the 
universally  admitted  principle,  that  the  artificer  has 
a  right  to  the  machine,  which  he  has  invented  and 
constructed,  and  to  a  portion  at  least  of  the  products 
of  it,  our  Creator  has  a  just  claim  to  our  bodies  and 
spirits  which  are  *'his  workmanship;"  and  to  all 
that  we  can  acquire.  And  if  we  examine  the 
history  of  property,  and  the  nature  of  the  tenures 
by  which  it  is  held,  we  will  trace  all  valid  titles  up 
to  the  original  grant  of  "  the  God  of  the  whole  earth," 
first  to  Adam  :  Gen.  i.  26,  and  afterwards  to  Noah, 
Gen.  ix. 

The  right  to  acquire  property  is  based  upon  those 
grants  ;  and  all  individual  titles  have  grown  up 
under  that  providence,  of  which  God  is  the  sover- 
eign Disposer.     Civil  government,  by  which  rights 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  85 

of  property  are  protected,  is  an  ordinance  of  God : 
and  its  various  forms  have  arisen  under  his  supervi- 
sion. And  we  must  not  forget  that,  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  his  providential  government,  God  is 
as  completely  sovereign,  as  he  was  in  the  work  of 
creation.  "  He  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel 
of  his  own  will."  Eph.  i.  11.  "  He  doeth  according 
to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven,  and  among  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth."  Dan.  iv.  35.  *'  The 
Lord  maketh  rich  and  maketh  poor."  1  Sam.  ii.  7. 
"  He  putteth  down  one  and  setteth  up  another," 
Ps.  Ixxv.  7. 

Whence,  then,  reader,  did  you  obtain  your 
property  ?  From  your  ancestors  ?  Where  did 
they  get  it  ?  Or  did  you  obtain  it  by  hard  labour 
or  by  skilful  trade  ?  Others  have  laboured  as  hard, 
and  traded  as  skilfully  as  you,  and  are  still  poor. 
How  has  it  come  that  your  labour  or  tact  in  business 
has  been  more  successful  ?  You  can  only  with  truth 
reply,  "  God  hath  crowned  my  labour  with  success, 
or  the  efforts  of  my  fathers ;  it  is  he  has  made  me 
to  differ."  It  is  God  bestows  strength  and  skill  for 
the  struggle  of  life,  and  crowns  our  efforts  with  a 
blessing.  In  truth,  by  whatever  means  your  right- 
ful property  has  been  obtained,  it  is  from  God. 
Venture  not,  then,  to  "  say  in  thine  heart,  my 
power  and  the  might  of  mine  hand  hath  gotten  me 
this  wealth.  But  thou  shalt  remember  the  Lord 
thy  God ;  for  it  is  he  that  giveth  the  power  to  get 
wealth!"     Deut.  viii.  17,  18. 


36  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

If,  therefore,  Jehovah  is  the  sovereign  Disposer 
of  property,  as  well  as  its  Creator  and  original 
Owner,  he  must  surely  hold  man  responsible  for 
the  right  use  of  all  he  has  committed  to  his 
care. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  37 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  end  and  the  motives  of  stewardship. 

"  Man's  chief  end  is  to  glorify  God,  and  to  enjoy 
him  for  ever;"  and  the  object  of  Christian  benefi- 
cence, as  of  every  other  duty,  is  to  subserve  this 
chief  end.  Glory  is  the  manifestation  of  excellence, 
and  the  grand  purpose  of  God,  in  the  works  of 
creation,  providence,  and  redemption,  is  to  mani- 
fest his  own  perfections,  and  thus  "  do  his  pleasure," 
and  render  his  creatures  blessed.  "  The  Lord  hath 
made  all  things  for  himself,"  Prov.  xvi.  4.  "Of 
him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are  all  things:  to 
whom  be  glory  for  ever.  Amen."  Rom.  xi.  36. 
*'  Thou  art  worthy,  0  Lord  !  to  receive  glory  and 
honour  and  power  :  for  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are,  and  were  created." 
Rev.  iv.  11. 

The  principle  here  involved,  that  the  owner  has 
a  right  to  promote  his  own  honour  and  advantage, 
in  the  disposal  and  use  of  his  propert}^  is  one  which 
men  not  only  admit,  but  eagerly  assert  in  their  own 
case.  No  man  will  assert  that,  in  purchasing  and 
maintaining  horses  or  other  domestic  animals,  the 
4 


38  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

happiness  of  the  animal  is  the  chief  end;  but  on 
the  contrary  the  honour  or  advantage  of  the  master. 
This  common-sense  principle  men  readily  embrace, 
when  it  is  applied  to  those  things  over  which  man 
has  a  partial  dominion.  But  perhaps  the  very  same 
men  refuse  to  apply  it  to  the  more  perfect  dominion 
of  God.  Yet  is  it  a  dictate,  alike  of  reason  and  of 
revelation,  that  the  chief  end  of  every  creature  is  to 
promote  the  glory  of  the  Creator.  "VYe  are  bound 
^'  to  glorify  God  in  our  body  and  spirit  which  are 
God's:"  1  Cor.  vi.  20;  and  this  necessarily  includes 
all  that  pertains  to  body  and  spirit ;  the  endowments 
of  each,  and  all  the  resources  which,  by  their  right 
exercise,  w^e  may  procure.  Of  course  property  is 
included ;  and  this  might  be  inferred  from  scrip- 
tures already  quoted,  if  there  were  none  more  ex- 
plicit. But  the  Bible  is  very  explicit  upon  this  sub- 
ject. "  Honour  the  Lord  with  thy  substance,  and 
with  the  first  fruits  of  thine  increase."  "  Whatsoever 
ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  1  Cor.  x.  31. 
And  space  would  fail  us  to  quote  a  tithe  of  the 
passages,  in  which  the  right  and  religious  use  of 
property  is  required. 

Upon  this  point  bears  the  entire  system  of  tithes 
and  oblations  of  the  ancient  economy.  And  in 
2  Cor.  ix.  12,  13,  the  apostle,  after  discoursing 
upon  the  subject  of  Christian  liberality,  and  speci- 
ally commending  the  beneficence  of  the  Macedo- 
nians, and  Corinthians,  declares  "  that  the  adminis- 
tration of  this  service  not  only  supplieth  the  want 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  39 

of  the  saints,  but  is  abundant  also  hj  many  thanks- 
givings unto  God,  while  by  the  experiment  of  this 
ministration,  they  glorify  God  for  your  professed 
subjection  unto  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  for  your 
liberal  distribution  unto  them  and  unto  all  men." 

But  in  promoting  the  glory  of  God,  the  exercise 
of  Christian  beneficence  secures  ahso  the  enjoyment 
of  him,  and  of  the  blessings  of  his  providence  and 
grace,  both  to  those  who  give  and  those  who  re- 
ceive. This  will  more  fully  appear,  when  we  come 
to  view  faithful  stewardship  as  a  means  of  grace, 
and  of  spreading  the  gospel.  It  is  mentioned  here 
as  one  of  the  ends  of  systematic  beneficence. 

Having  said  this  much  of  the  ends,  we  come  to 
speak  of  the  motives  which  should  actuate  the  faith- 
ful steward. 

The  motives  by  which  intelligent  creatures  are 
influenced,  may  all  be  reduced  to  two  classes.  In- 
deed they  are  thus  classified  in  the  Bible,  and  are 
denominated  according  to  their  characteristics. 
The  one  class  is  sometimes  called  "Zoi>e,"  (Rom. 
xiii.  10 ;  John  xiv.  15 ;  1  Cor.  xiii.,)  sometimes 
"the  Spirit  of  adoption."  Rom.  viii.  15.  The 
other  class  is  denominated  *'/e«r,"  2  Tim,  i.  7,  and 
1  John  iv.  18,  and  "  the  Spirit  of  bondage  to  fear.'' 
Rom.  viii.  15.  This  classification  respects  the  two 
grand  divisions  into  which  the  intellectual  creation 
is  separated,  the  holy  and  the  unholy,  the  obedient 
children  of  God,  and  those  who  have  assumed  and 
maintain  an  attitude  of  rebellion.     Into  these  two 


40  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

classes  the  human  family  is  divided.  The  indi- 
viduals of  the  one  class  have  been  "reconciled  to 
God;"  "born  again  by  his  Spirit,"  into  his  spiri- 
tual family  ;  have  "  received  the  adoption  of  sons  ;" 
are  the  children  of  God,  having  "received  the 
Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  they  cry  Abba  Father." 
That  is,  they  look  upon  God  with  a  filial  feeling: 
they  love  him  as  children  love  a  parent :  and  this 
fueling  of  love,  accompanied  by  reverence,  confi- 
dence, gratitude,  and  every  right  sentiment,  prompts 
them  to  obey.  "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth 
them."  They  render  obedience,  not  from  slavish 
dread  of  their  Father,  but  from  motives  of  love  to 
his  person  and  perfections  and  of  delight  in  his  will. 
The  individuals  of  the  other  class  have  no  love 
to  God,  nor  reverence  for  his  character  or  his  law. 
Their  "  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  not 
subject  to  his  law:"  and  the  only  feeling,  that  can 
prompt  them  to  render  outward  obedience,  is  fear, 
dread  of  his  displeasure  and  its  consequences. 
Fallen  from  God  and  into  self,  selfishness  is  their 
dominant  impulse;  not  any  desire  to  glorify  God. 
"  Devils  believe  and  tremble."  And  so  is  it  Avith 
men  who  have  not  received  "  the  Spirit  of  adop- 
tion," but  are  still  held  by  "the  spirit  of  bondage 
to  fear."  They  may  be  forced  to  believe  "that 
God  is  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder"  and  an  avenger; 
but  their  faith  doth  not  "work  by  love."  They 
may  tremble,  they  may  fear  to  offend  God,  but  they 
do  not  love  to  obey  him. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  41 

Now  we  need  scarcely  say  that  love  must  be  the 
motive  to  beneficence.  That  love  to  the  divine  Be- 
ing and  perfections,  to  his  law,  to  his  promises,  to 
his  people,  to  his  cause,  love  for  his  glory,  must  be 
"  the  fulfilling  of  his  law."  The  very  word  be- 
nevolence, good  will,  indicates  that  the  good  stew- 
ard must  be  animated  not  by  "the  spirit  of  bondage 
to  fear,"  but  by  "  the  Spirit  of  adoption."  "  God 
loveth  a  cheerful  giver,"  and  it  is  impossible  that 
he  can  give  cheerfully,  who  does  not  love  the  duty 
and  the  cause.  And  this  is  what  constitutes  the 
difi'erence  between  the  offerings  of  the  mere  for- 
malist and  the  truly  pious,  the  self-righteous,  and 
the  man  of  real  charity,  the  Pharisee  and  Zaccheus, 
the  slave  and  the  child.  The  one  gives  from  fear 
or  pride,  the  other  from  gratitude  and  principle  ; 
the  one  from  a  slavish  sense  of  disagreeable  obliga- 
tion, the  other  from  the  promptings  of  the  free 
Spirit  of  adoption  :  the  one  because  he  fears,  the 
other  because  he  loves.  The  one  kindles  his  zeal 
with  dreaded  purgatorial  fires,  the  other  with  coals 
taken  from  the  altar  of  burnt-offering. 

The  motive  that  is  awakened  by  a  discovery  of 
God's  -wondrous  mercy,  "  the  love  of  God  shed 
abroad  in  the  heart,"  is  the  only  motive  that  can  lead 
to  acceptable  offerings.  Paul  assures  us  that  this  is 
indispensible.  "  Though  I  should  bestow  all  my  goods 
to  feed  the  poor,  and  have  not  charity  [love]  it  pro- 
fiteth  me  nothing."  1  Cor.  xiii.  3.  "Faith  that 
worketh  by  love"  is  the  life  of  beneficence. 
4* 


42  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

Our  Lord  cautions  against  motives  of  ostentation 
in  alms-doing.  "  Take  heed  that  ye  do  not  your 
alms  before  men  to  be  seen  of  them.  Do  not  sound 
a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypocrites  do  in  the 
synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may  have 
glory  of  men,"  Matt.  vi.  1,  2.  Love  of  display  is 
not  love  of  Chrisit. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  43 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  rule  of  Stewardship. 

"  Lord,  what  wilt  ^/ioif  have  me  to  do?"  is  the 
eager  and  spontaneous  inquiry  of  every  believing 
heart,  as  it  submits  to  a  sovereign  Saviour.  And 
every  faithful  steward  of  God's  bounty  will  often  ask 
this  question,  in  regard  to  the  duties  of  his  steward- 
ship. The  word  of  God  must  furnish  the  answer  ;  for 
it  is  "  the  only  rule  to  direct  us  how  we  may  glorify 
and  enjoy  him."  Let  us  strive  to  deduce  therefrom 
some  at  least  of  the  general  principles  which  the 
Lord  hath  prescribed  for  the  guidance  of  his 
stewards.     And, 

1.  Every  man  should  endeavour  to  ascertain  what 
special  talent  or  talents  have  been  committed  to  his 
trust ;  and  in  what  department  of  life  he  is  called 
to  serve  God  and  his  generation.  Every  believer, 
indeed  every  individual  of  the  human  family,  be- 
liever or  not,  ought  to  have  a  call  of  God  to  his 
particular  vocation  in  life.  The  truth  of  this  posi- 
tion is  confessed  by  the  common  sense  of  mankind 
as  indicated  by  the  very  structure  of  language.  A 
man's  business  is  very  generally,  in  most  languages, 


44  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

denominated  his  "  calling,"  his  "vocation:"  i.e., 
the  employment  to  which  he  is  (or  ought  to  have 
been)  called.  We  do  not  mean  that  a  man  ought 
to  seek,  or  expect  an  extraordinary  call,  like  that 
of  Abraham  or  of  Paul.  But  we  mean  that,  by  due 
attention  to  the  advice  of  parents  or  judicious 
friends,  and  by  the  prayerful  consideration  of  his 
own  peculiar  talents  and  disposition,  and  the  indica- 
tions of  God's  word.  Spirit,  and  providence,  a  man 
may  attain  a  reasonable  assurance,  that  it  is  his 
duty  to  pursue  a  given  course  of  life.  Every  man 
in  choosing  his  profession  or  calling,  ought  dili- 
gently and  devoutly  to  ask,  "  Lord,  what  wouldst 
thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  And  he,  who  takes  God's 
word  as  "  a  lamp  unto  his  feet  and  a  light  unto  his 
path,"  will  "hear  a  word  behind  him  saying,  this 
is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it."  Isa.  xxx.  21. 

2.  Diligence,  in  the  employment,  and  the  im- 
provement of  every  talent  entrusted  to  him,  is  re- 
quired of  every  steward.  The  master's  injunction 
is,  "Occupy  till  I  come."  Luke  xix.  13.  This, 
literally  rendered  from  the  Greek,  is,  "  Do  business 
with  till  I  come" — i,  e.,  with  the  talents.  And  the 
Spirit  by  Paul,  when  enjoining  the  very  duties  in- 
volved in  a  Christian  stewardship,  commands,  "Be 
not  slothful  in  the  business."  However  large  or 
small  the  amount  of  talent  entrusted  to  him,  he  is 
bound  to  employ  it  to  the  best  advantage.  The 
servant  who  "  went  and  hid  the  talent  in  the  earth." 
Matt.  XXV.  25,  and  the  one  who  "  kept  the  pound 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  45 

laid  up  in  a  napkin,"  Luke  xix.  20,  were  unfaith- 
ful stewards,  they  violated  their  trust.  It  was  not 
enough  that  they  returned  what  had  been  given, 
they  were  under  obligations  to  improve,  to  "  gain" 
for  their  Lord.  They  deserved  the  doom  of 
*'  wicked  and  slothful  servants."  And  since  our 
Lord  expressly  teaches  that  it  is  the  steward's  duty 
to  "do  business  till  he  come" — does  it  not  become 
a  serious  question,  whether  a  Christian  man  is  at 
liberty  to  "retire  from  business?"  Does  not  the 
very  intention  of  retiring  from  business  involve  the 
purpose  of  hoarding  up,  against  the  day  of  retire- 
ment ?  and  withholding  from  the  current  demands 
of  charity  "  more  than  is  meet?"  Can  a  man  thus 
accumulate  wealth,  who,  "upon  every  first  day  of 
the  week  takes  with  him  to  the  treasury,  as  God 
hath  prospered  him?"  1  Cor.  xvi.  2,  literally 
translated.  In  Luke  xii.  16-21,  our  Lord  re- 
lates, for  our  instruction,  the  story  of  a  man  who, 
with  the  design  of  "  retiring  from  business,"  or,  as 
the  man  himself  expressed  it,  "  taking  his  ease," 
had  "  laid  up  treasure  for  himself,  and  was  not  rich 
toward  God."  This  was  "a  rich  man,"  very  suc- 
cessful in  business,  who  had  acquired  so  much  that 
he  vras  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  make  investments ; 
he  had  "no  room  where  to  bestow  his  goods."  He 
was  perplexed  :  "  What  shall  I  do?"  And  what  was 
his  resolution  ?  To  give  to  the  Lord  ?  to  distribute 
to  the  poor  ?  no,  but  to  hoard  up.  "  This  will  I  do  : 
I  will  pull  down  my  barns  [dKo&ijxa::,  store-houses ,'] 


46  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

and  build  greater,  and  there  will  I  bestow  [auvd^co, 
gather  together]  all  my  fruits  and  my  goods  ;  and 
I  will  say  to  my  soul,  Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods 
laid  up  for  many  years,  take  thine  ease,  eat,  drink 
and  be  merry."  He  would  retire  upon  his  income, 
and  take  his  ease — "But  God  said.  Fool,  this  night 
thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee !"  When  the 
steward  ceased  to  "occupy"  to  "do  business,"  the 
Lord  came  !  Reader,  remember  and  ponder  the 
moral  of  this  parable :  "  So  is  he  that  layeth  np 
treasure  for  himself,  and  is  not  rich  toward  God  !" 
3.  Every  steward  will  be  held  responsible  "  ac- 
cording to  his  several  ability."  Matt.  xxv.  15. 
"As  God  hath  prospered  him."  1  Cor.  xvi.  3.  "  As 
every  man  hath  received  the  gift,  so  minister  the 
same  one  to  another,  as  good  stewards  of  the  mani- 
fold grace  of  God."  1  Pet.  iv.  10.  "For  to  whom- 
soever much  is  given,  of  him  shall  much  be  re- 
quired," Luke  xii.  48.  The  Master  will  not  demand 
so  much  of  him,  to  whom  but  one  talent  was  com- 
mitted, as  from  him  who  was  entrusted  with  ten  :  but 
requires  each  to  "  do  business,"  with  the  means  he 
possesses,  and  faithfully  to  account  for  it.  The  rich 
steward  must  not  measure  his  gifts  by  the  offerings 
of  the  poor :  nor  must  the  poor  be  discouraged  be- 
cause he  cannot  equal  the  bounty  of  the  rich.  "  If 
there  be  a  willing  mind,  it  is  accepted  according  to 
that  a  man  hath  and  not  according  to  that  he  hath 
not."  2  Cor.  viii.  12.  In  the  eyes  of  the  Master  the 
widow,  who  gave  two  mites,  exceeded  in  liberality 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  47 

them  who  cast  in  of  their  abundance.  In  the  sys- 
tem of  Jewish  oiferings  special  provision  was  made 
for  adapting  the  oblation  to  the  means  of  the 
donor :  and  it  is  a  fact,  as  instructive  as  it  is  touch- 
ing, that  when  the  mother  of  our  glorious  Lord 
came  to  redeem  her  first-born  son,  with  the  sacri- 
fice demanded  by  the  law  of  Moses,  she  offered 
that  which  the  poor  only  might  offer,  "  a  pair  of 
turtle-doves,  or  two  young  pigeons." 

4.  Beneficence  must  be  cheerful.  "  Every  man 
according  as  he  purposeth  in  his  heart,  so  let  him 
give,  not  grudgingly,  or  of  necessity  :  for  God  loveth 
a  cheerful  giver."  2  Cor.  ix.  7.  ''  Thine  heart 
shall  not  be  grieved  when  thou  givest,  because  that 
for  this  thing  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  bless  thee  in 
all  thy  works,  and  in  all  that  thouputtest  thy  hand 
unto."  Deut.  XV.  10.  "  If  there  be  a  willing  mind 
it  is  accepted."  2  Cor.  viii.  12. 

The  necessity  for  this  rule  we  have  shown,  when 
speaking  upon  the  motives  of  beneficence  ;  and  the 
Scripture  quoted  is  so  explicit  that  it  needs  no 
farther  illustration. 

5.  Christian  beneficence  should  be  unostentatious. 
We  have  already  touched  upon  this  rule,  also,  in 
speaking  of  the  motives  that  should  actuate  the  good 
steward.  "  Do  not  sound  a  trumpet  before  thee," 
— a  proverbial  expression  for  *'  Do  not  make  a  dis- 
play." "  When  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left 
hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth."  Matt.  vi. 
3.      Qliis  also  is   a    proverbial   mode   of  describing 


48  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

such  secrecy  as  to  escape,  if  possible,  the  observa- 
tion of  our  own  hearts  ;  and  it  is  designed  to  guard 
against  pride-fostering  self-gratulation.  The  import 
of  the  entire  precept  is,  that  we  should,  when  doing 
good,  be  so  absorbed  with  the  desire  to  honour  God, 
that  self  will  be  forgotten. 

We  do  not  suppose  that  it  is  a  positive  injunction 
to  conceal  our  beneficence  in  all  cases  ;  for  that 
were  impossible  :  and  this  would  conflict  with  direc- 
tions given  in  the  previous  parts  of  our  Lord's 
sermon.  "  Let  jour  light  so  shine  before  men, 
that  they  may  see  your  good  works,  and  glorify 
your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Matt.  v.  16. 
Absolute  secrecy  is  not  always  practicable  nor  de- 
sirable. Yet  if  our  good  worts  are  seen,  it  should 
be  manifest  that  they  were  not  done  merely  to  be 
seen  ;  for  ostentatious  benevolence  will  bring  no 
glory  to  our  Father.  And  there  is  perhaps  no 
more  insidious  or  dangerous  temptation,  than  that 
of  being  proud  of  our  beneficence,  or  of  making  a 
righteousness  of  it.  And  the  best  antidote  to  this 
temptation  is  an  absorbing  zeal  for  God's  glory. 
If  beneficence  is  not  practised  with  a  self-denying 
spirit,  and  in  a  pride-crucifying  manner,  instead  of 
proving  a  means  of  grace,  it  will  prove  a  most 
specious  and  ruinous  snare.  It  is  worthy,  there- 
fore, of  very  serious  consideration,  how  far  the 
plans  of  benevolent  operation,  that  have  been  in 
vogue  in  our  day,  have  fostered  an  ostentatious 
spirit  in  the  church,  by  the  parade  of  names,  the 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  49 

pomp  of  anniversaries  and  other  seeming  violations 
of  our  Lord's  directions :  how  far  the  spirituality 
of  the  church  may  have  suffered  in  consequence  ; 
and  how  far  God's  blessing  upon  her  efforts  may 
have  been  forfeited. 

6.  Christian  beneficence  should  be  constant,  fre- 
quent, and  systematic.  But  as  this  will  of  neces- 
sity be  involved  in  the  discussion  of  other  parts  of 
the  subject,  we  detain  not  our  readers  with  it  at 
present.  Indeed  we  have  already  shown,  that  be- 
neficence, in  common  with  the  other  provisions 
made  in  the  gospel,  for  doing  good  to  men  and 
evangelizing  the  world,  is  an  essential  part  of  our 
holy  religion.  If  so,  we  have  no  more  right  to  in- 
termit the  performance  of  this,  than  of  any  other 
religious  duty,  and  in  the  performance  of  it  should 
be  systematic^  for,  in  religion,  "  all  things  should  be 
done  decently  and  in  order."  1  Cor.  xiv.  40. 
5 


50  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

The  Scripture  plan  of  beneficence. 

In  examining  this  part  of  the  subject,  let  us  not 
forget  that  "  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration 
of  God,  and  is  profitable,  for  doctrine,  for  reproof, 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness : 
that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works,"  2  Tim.  iii.  16,  17, 
and  the  Scriptures  embraced  in  this  remark  more 
especially,  were  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment :  for  these  only  could  Timothy  "  have  known 
from  a  child ;"  the  New  Testament  not  having  been 
then  written.  So  that,  when  seeking  to  be  "tho- 
roughly furnished  unto  all  good  works,  we  must 
consult  the  whole  Bible,  the  Old  as  well  as  the  New 
Testament.  Now  we  think  it  is  perfectly  demon- 
strable that  the  Bible  makes  the  belief  of  the  doc- 
trines, the  cultivation  of  the  graces,  and  the  practice 
of  the  duties  of  Christian  stewardship  to  be  of  the 
essence  of  the  true  religion :  and  requires  the  fre- 
quent, stated,  and  systematic  contribution  of  a  por- 
tion of  worldly  substance  to  pious  uses,  as  a  part 
of  the  worship  of  God.  This  is  the  Bible  system 
of  beneficence.     Let  us  to  the  proof. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  51 

If  the  doctrines  of  stewardship,  as  stated  in  the 
preceding  pages  of  this  treatise,  be  true,  and  we 
think  ample  proofs  of  their  truth  have  been  given, 
then  the  above  proposition  follows  as  a  necessary 
inference.  The  plan  is  a  corollary  of  the  doctrines. 
But  in  further  proof  and  illustration  notice, 

1.  Under  the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  both 
in  the  patriarchal  and  the  Mosaic  economy,  fre- 
quent, stated,  and  systematic  oblation  of  worldly 
substance  is  recognized  as  a  part  of  religious 
worship.  In  the  first  family,  offerings  of  property 
were  made  to  the  Lord ;  Gen.  iv.  3  ;  and  we  are  as- 
sured, upon  New  Testament  authority,  that  they 
were  of  divine  appointment.  It  was  "  by  faith 
Abel  made  a  more  acceptable  sacrifice  than  Cain." 
He  believed.  What  did  he  believe  ?  God's  com- 
mand and  promise,  authorizing  the  offering.  This 
is  the  only  way  in  which  he  could  be  said  to  offer 
in  faith.  And  there  must  have  been  some  divine 
directions  given  to  the  patriarchs  concerning  these 
forms  of  worship  ;  else  they  would  have  been  un- 
authorized acts  of  will-worship,  not  made  in  faith. 
But  their  worship  was  "by  faith,"  and  the  offerings 
of  the  patriarchal  worshippers  were  therefore  the 
requirements  of  a  revealed  religion.  They  are  said 
by  Paul  "  through  faith  and  patience  to  inherit  the 
promises,"  and  we  are  exhorted  by  him  to  be  "fol- 
lowers of  them."  Heb.  vi.  12.  Even  when  the 
church  was  tossed  in  the  ark,  upon  a  shoreless 
ocean,  arrangements  were  made  for  the  family  of 


52  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

Noah,  bj  divine  direction,  for  ^'  honouring  the 
Lord  with  their  substance."  Of  clean  beasts,  such 
as  were  suitable  for  sacrifice,  Noah  was  directed  to 
take  by  sevens,  and  of  unclean  only  by  two.  And 
the  first  act  of  the  patriarch,  after  leaving  the  ark, 
was  to  build  an  altar  and  take  of  every  clean  beast 
and  of  every  clean  fowl,  and  oiFer  burnt-off'erings 
upon  the  altar.   Gen.  vii.  20,  and  viii.  20. 

Abraham  gave  tithes  of  all  to  "  the  priest  of  the 
most  high  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth." 
Gen.  xiv.  20.  Jacob's  vow,  recorded  Gen.  xxviii. 
22,  was  doubtless  made  in  faith,  for  it  was  made  just 
after  Jehovah  had  revealed  himself  to  him  in  a 
dream,  and  renewed  to  him  the  promise  given  to  his 
grandfather ;  and  this  vow  embodies  the  whole 
doctrine  of  stewardship  as  we  have  stated  it.  "  Of 
all  that  thou  shalt  give  me,  I  will  surely  give  the 
tenth  unto  thee  I"  He  confesses  that  all  the  pro- 
perty he  might  acquire  would  be  God's  gift ;  and  he 
solemnly  vowed  that  he  would  systematically  devote 
a  tenth  to  the  Lord.  And  we  are  of  the  opinion, 
that  this  vow  was  made  by  Jacob,  as  a  public  per- 
son, and  that  it  bound  his  household,  the  future 
church  ;  for  it  was  made  in  response  to  the  reitera- 
tion of  the  cliarter  of  the  ancient  church.  This 
charter  had  been  announced  to  his  grandfather,  re- 
peated to  his  father,  and  reiterated  and  confirmed 
to  himself,  in  the  sweetly- awful  scene  from  which 
he  had  just  arisen  :  "In  thee  and  in  thy  seed  shall 
the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  Gen.  xii.  3; 


THE    GOOD   STEWARD.  53 

xxii.  18  ;  xxvi.  4.  It  was  in  response  to  this  that 
Jacob's  vow  was  made,  and  therefore  we  think  it 
included  at  least  the  religious  society  that  was  to 
spring  from  "  his  loins."  And  this  opinion  is 
strengthened  by  the  fact  that  when  his  descendants 
were  fully  organized  under  this  general  charter,  as 
the  visible  church,  the  principles  of  the  vow  were  in- 
corporated into  the  Mosaic  economy.  "  And  all  the 
tithe  of  the  land,  whether  of  the  seed  of  the  land,  or  of 
the  fruit  of  the  tree,  is  the  Lord's  :  it  is  holy  unto  the 
Lord.  And,  concerning  the  tithe  of  the  herd,  or  of 
the  flock,  the  tenth  shall  be  holy  unto  the  Lord." 
Lev.  xxvii.  30-32.  This  was  in  addition  to  the  first 
fruits  and  their  attendant  offerings,  for  it  was  after 
these  were  deducted,  that  the  tenth  was  to  be  given  to 
religious  purposes.  And  if  the  reader  will  study  the 
Mosaic  system  of  offerings,  the  burnt-offerings,  the 
meat-offerings,  the  drink-offerings,  the  peace-offer- 
ings, the  contributions  attendant  upon  the  three 
great  annual  feasts,  the  free-will  offerings,  and  the 
regular  sacrifices  and  such  as  were  required  upon 
special  occasions,  he  will  discover,  that  offerings  of 
property,  as  an  expression  of  faith  in  God  and  his 
promises,  trust  in  Messiah  and  his  grace,  gratitude 
for  temporal  benefits  and  saving  mercy,  dependence 
upon  God  as  an  exhaustless  portion,  and  submission 
to  God  as  a  sovereign  King,  made  up  a  large,  if  not 
a  chief  part  of  their  public  worship.  And  he  will 
discover,  too,  much  more  rationality  in  their  cere- 
monial system,  than  some  are  willing  to  attribute  to 
5* 


64  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

it.  It  was  an  appropriate  expression  before  the 
Lord,  of  the  worshipful  sentiments,  which  they 
cherished,  and  it  was  a  well-appointed  means  of 
cherishing  those  sentiments. 

What  is  worship  ?  It  is  the  cherishing  in  the 
heart  true  faith  in  God,  and  proper  sentiments  of 
love  and  veneration  for  him  ;  and  giving  appropri- 
ate expression  of  these  sentiments  by  outward  acts 
or  forms.  Beings  constituted  as  we  are  cannot 
worship  God  socially  without  some  outward  forms. 
Thought  and  feeling  cannot  be  communicated  from 
mind  to  mind  without  some  material  medium.  Lan- 
guage itself  is  a  material  medium  of  thought,  and  if 
nothing  but  words  were  employed  to  express  re- 
ligious sentiment,  it  would  still  be  a  form  of  ex- 
pression. The  emotions  and  thoughts  of  the  heart 
must  be  bodied  forth,  before  they  can  fix  the  atten- 
tion and  engage  the  sympathies  of  others.  Hence, 
from  a  necessity  arising  out  of  the  constitution  of  our 
nature,  a  religion  adapted  to  man,  to  be  used  in 
social  worship,  must  be,  like  himself,  composed  of 
soul  and  body;  of  sentiments  of  the  mind,  and 
suitable  forms  by  which  these  sentiments  may  be  ex- 
pressed. Even  in  private  worship,  the  form  is  not 
useless,  the  attitude  of  the  body,  the  tone  of  the 
voice,  the  action  of  the  outward  man,  may  assist, 
not  only  in  expressing  the  pious  emotions  of  the 
heart,  but  in  awakening  proper  emotions  and  giving 
them  intensity.  This  we  believe  to  be  the  ex- 
perience of  every  Christian. 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  55 

Now  what  more  explicit  and  approprite  expres- 
sion of  faith,  confidence,  love,  gratitude,  zeal, 
humility,  dependence,  submission,  and  obedience, 
than  the  offering  to  God,  in  honour  of  him,  for  the 
support  of  his  servants,  for  the  maintenance  of  his 
religion,  and  for  the  comfort  of  his  poor,  oblations 
of  that  worldly  substance,  of  which  he  is  the  maker, 
the  giver,  the  owner  ?  No  outward  act  could  more 
emphatically  express  these  religious  sentiments, 
than  the  act  of  offering^  for,  when  performed  aright, 
all  these  sentiments  must  combine  to  produce  the 
act.  We  speak  not  now  of  sacrifices  strictly  so 
called,  such  as  were  designed  to  make  atonement 
for  ceremonial  sins,  and  thus  to  point  to  the  sacri- 
fice of  Christ.  These  eloquently  expressed  the  re- 
ligious sentiments  of  faith  in  Messiah,  love  to  him, 
penitence  for  sin,  and  abhorrence  of  it :  but  as  these 
were  sacrificed,  i.  g.,  destroyed  by  burning  or  other- 
wise to  express  the  destroying  nature  of  sin,  they 
do  not  so  strictly  come  under  the  denomination  of 
beneficence.  Still  they  were  offerings  of  property, 
and  to  some  extent  teach  the  same  great  lesson, 
viz.,  that  the  worship  of  the  ancient  church,  with  a 
beautiful  propriety,  consisted  largely  in  offerings 
of  property  for  sacred  and  charitable  purposes : 
that  it  was  indeed  a  system  of  beneficence. 

All  their  acts  of  public  worship  were  to  be  ac- 
companied by  a  contribution.  The  command  is 
often  reiterated,  "  They  shall  not  appear  before  the 
Lord  empty."    Deut.  xvi.  16;  Ex.  xxiii.  15,  and 


56  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

xxxiv.  20.  The  first-fruits,  the  tenths,  the  glean- 
ings, and  the  sin-offering  were  obligatory :  others 
were  free-will  offerings.  Yet  whilst  in  these  neither 
the  amount  nor  the  frequency  was  always  prescribed, 
the  command  was  positive.  *'  Thou  shalt  not 
harden  thy  heart,  nor  shut  thine  hand  from  thy 
poor  brother ;  but  thou  shalt  open  thine  hand  wide 
unto  him."   Deut.  xv.  7,  8. 

And  we  know  from  unquestionable  authority, 
that  after  the  general  adoption  of  the  synagogue 
worship,  the  general  principles  of  their  benevolent 
system  were  incorporated  in  the  forms  of  that 
worship.  In  this  place  of  worship  they  did  not  feel 
at  liberty,  any  more  than  at  the  temple,  to  "  appear 
before  the  Lord  empty."  And  the  "doing  of 
alms,"  as  well  as  reading  the  law,  preaching  or  ex- 
pounding, praise,  and  prayer,  was  a  regular  part 
of  the  synagogue  worship.  For  attending  to  col- 
lection and  distribution  they  had  their  TsedplieJi 
gebai,  otaxovoc^  deacons,  as  well  as  their  other  offi- 
cers to  teach  and  to  preside  over  the  worship ;  col- 
lections were  usually  made  every  Sabbath,  and 
besides  these  they  had  sometimes  extraordinary 
collections.  Two  chests  for  the  reception  of  money 
were  kept,  usually,  in  every  synagogue.  Therein 
the  money  was  deposited,  and  when  extraordinary 
collections  were  to  be  made,  "then,"  says  Leo  of 
Modena,  "the  heads  of  the  synagogue  order  the 
Cliazan  to  go  to  each  member  of  the  congregation, 
and  to  get  their  names  for  alms  in  this  form,  '  May 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  57 

the  Lord  bless  N.,  wlio  will  spend  so  much  in  alms 
for  this  or  that  purpose.'  "  In  the  time  of  our 
Lord's  advent  the  custom  of  "  doing  alms  in  the 
synagogues,"  Matt.  vi.  3,  was  continued,  as  indeed 
it  is  to  this  day ;  and  it  was  and  is  done  as  a  part 
of  the  worship,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

It  is  manifest,  therefore,  from  an  inspection  of 
the  entire  Old  Testament  economy,  and  from  au- 
thentic accounts  of  the  practice  of  the  church  of 
Israel,  that  pious  beneficence  was  statedly,  fre- 
quently, and  systematically  practised,  as  a  part  of 
moral  duty  and  religious  worship.  And  we  desire 
it  to  be  distinctly  remembered,  that  the  offices  of 
beneficence  were  so  completely  part  of  their  wor- 
ship, as  to  be  inseparable  from  it.  Their  offerings 
were  not  matters  which  might  be  omitted,  and  the 
worship  of  Grod  be  still  carried  on.  Stop  these,  and 
the  entire  system  of  their  public  solemnities  ceased. 

"But,"  it  will  be  said,  "Hebrew  worship  is  not 
Christian  worship."  It  is  not  in  form:  but  it  is 
so  in  fact.  It  is  not  so  in  shadow,  but  it  is  in  sub- 
stance. The  church  under  the  ancient  dispensation 
was  the  same  blood-bought  church  ;  she  was  gathered 
under  the  same  charter,  she  worshipped  the  same 
God,  she  trusted  in  the  same  Messiah,  and  the  same 
grand  results  were  contemplated,  as  under  the  new: 
and  although  some  of  the  forms  of  worship  have, 
for  obvious  reasons,  been  changed,  the  spirit  and 
the  purposes  of  worship  are  unchangeably  the 
same.     We  too  easily  release  ourselves  from  the 


68  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

obligations  of  Old  Testament  precepts,  by  the  er- 
roneous assumption,  that   as  .the   old  dispensation 
has  passed  away,  we   have  little  or  nothing  to  do 
with  its  teachings.     What  does  Christ  himself  de- 
clare upon  this  subject?     "Think  not  that  I  am 
come   to   destroy   the   law   and    the   prophets :    I 
came  not  to  destroy  but  to  fulfil."    Matt.  v.  17. 
The    system    of    ceremonies,    which    was    chiefly 
designed    to    keep    in   remembrance    the    promise 
of  Messiah's  advent,  and  to  figure  forth  the  doc- 
trines   of     salvation    through     him,    has    ceased. 
The  sacrifices,  strictly  so  called,  have  been  super- 
ceded by  his  coming ;  but  these  only.     They  have 
given  place  to  the  simpler  ceremonies,  that  remind 
us  of  the  fact  that  he  has  come  and  sufi"ered.     But 
all  the  parts  of  the  ancient  economy,  that  are  of 
moral  obligation,  are  as  binding  upon  the  human 
conscience  as  ever.     And  all   the  ceremonial  and 
municipal  laws  of  the  Israelites,  that  were  of  per- 
manent advantage  to  human  society,  and  that  are 
calculated  to  subserve  the  interests  of  God's  glory 
in  all  time  and  in  all  lands,  are  still  binding  in  their 
spirit,  if  not  in    their    form.     For  example,  such 
ceremonial  or  municipal  laws,  as  were  designed  to 
promote  public  cleanliness  and  health,  in  a  city  or 
a  camp,  though  not  binding  in  their  precise  form  or 
strict  letter,  are  yet  binding  in  their  spirit,  and 
Christians  ought  to  make  conscience  of  reducing 
their   principles   to   practice.     The    form    and  the 
penalty  of  a  divine  law  may  be  changed,  but  its 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  59 

moral  spirit  never  dies.  Before  we  can  feel  at 
liberty  to  cast  aside  any  Old  Testament  institution, 
we  must  be  convinced  that  it  was  designed  to  ac- 
complish some  specific  temporary  end,  and  that 
such  end  has  been  accomplished ;  that  it  was  con- 
fined to  the  Jewish  state,  and  to  Judea,  and  is  in- 
applicable to  other  nations,  countries,  and  times ; 
that  it  pertained  to  that  yoke  of  bondage  which 
was  peculiar  to  the  non-age  of  the  church,  and 
which  Christ  has  removed ;  or  that  it  was  strictly 
sacrificial  and  pointed  to  a  Saviour  yet  to  come, 
and  has  therefore  been  superseded  by  his  advent. 
Indeed  the  safe  rule  is  to  receive  as  still  binding  in 
spirit  every  law,  unless  there  can  be  shown  an  ex- 
plicit or  an  implied  repeal.  We  say  in  its  spirit, 
for  there  may  be  a  repeal  of  the  form,  whilst  the 
spirit  remains.  The  prescribed  forms  of  offering 
property  under  the  old  economy  were  designed  to 
subserve  temporary  ends,  and  as  those  ends  have 
been  accomplised,  the  peculiar  ceremonies  attend- 
ing the  offering  have  been  abolished.  But  has  the 
duty  of  offering  been  abolished  also  ?  By  no  means. 
"We  might  as  well  insist  that  public  prayer  is  abol- 
ished, because  the  altar  of  incense  has  been  re- 
moved ;  that  the  Sabbath  has  been  abolished  be- 
cause the  day  has  been  changed,  or  that  the  law 
against  adultery  has  been  abolished,  because  the 
penalty  has  been  mitigated. 

The  spirit  of  true  religion  is  immutable,  for  it  is 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  dwelling  in  the  heart  of  man : 


60  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

and  the  ancient  law  of  offerings  "was  a  school- 
master to  lead  us  to  Christ,"  not  only  that  we 
might  be  justified  by  faith,  but  that  by  faith  we 
might  live  to  the  Redeemer's  glory,  offering  "  our 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  unto 
God." 

What  do  we  mean,  when  we  speak  of  a  change 
of  dispensation  ?  The  word  dispensation  in  every 
place  in  which  it  occurs  in  the  New  Testament,  is 
in  the  Greek,  economy^  otxovbfua^  steivardship  ;  e.  g. 
Eph.  i.  10,  "  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of 
times;"  iii.  2,  "dispensation  of  the  grace  of  God." 
All  we  can  mean,  then,  when  we  speak  of  a  change 
of  dispensation,  is  a  change  of  economy,  of  steward- 
ship, a  change  of  the  external  form  under  which 
true  religion  is  administered,  a  change  of  the  mode 
in  which  God's  grace  is  dispensed,  and,  to  some  ex- 
tent, a  change  as  regards  the  stewards  employed, 
and  the  persons  to  whom  the  grace  is  offered.  Be- 
fore the  ascension  of  Christ,  the  stewardship  was 
confined  to  a  single  nation,  and  the  offers  of  salva- 
tion chiefly  confined  to  them.  But  now  the  stew- 
ardship has  been  changed  both  as  regards  its  ob- 
jects, its  agents,  and  the  mode  of  its  administra- 
tion. The  wall  of  separation  is  broken  down,  Jew 
and  Gentile  are  alike  welcome  to  share  in  the  stew- 
ardship and  its  benefits;  and  the  guidance  of  God's 
"free  Spirit"  has  superseded  the  teachings  of  the 
legal  "schoolmaster."  But  although  the  form  of 
the   stewardship   has  been    thus    changed,  and  an 


THE    GOOD   STEWARD.  61 

ampler  and  freer  economy  introduced,  it  is  still 
"the  dispensation  of  the  grace  of  God,"  and  its 
object  now,  as  of  old,  is  to  bring  men  "  to  the 
blood  of  sprinkling." 

If  the  New  Testament  economy  aims  to  accom- 
plish a  vaster  work  than  did  the  old;  if  its  "field 
is  the  world,"  its  means  ought  to  be  proportionate 
to  the  vastness  of  the  enterprize ;  and  we  might 
expect  that,  in  the  system  itself,  provision  would 
be  made  for  augmenting  the  means.  We  cannot 
suppose  that,  under  a  dispensation  so  much  more 
free  and  full,  a  dispensation  of  love,  the  provisions 
for  sweet  charity  would  be  less  perfect  than  under 
the  old.  It  cannot  be  that,  where  so  much  more 
is  given,  less  will  be  required.  Although,  there- 
fore, the  compulsory  feature  of  the  ancient  system 
of  beneficence  is  removed,  and  men  may  no  longer 
(as  we  believe)  be  required  by  law,  either  civil  or 
ecclesiastical,  to  "bring  tithes  into  the  storehouse" 
of  the  Lord ;  yet  are  we  fully  convinced,  that  the 
obligation  to  be  systematically  beneficent  is  rather 
strengthened  than  relaxed  ;  and  that  the  motives 
thereto  are  increased  in  tenderness  and  power.  If 
Christ  has  removed  the  yoke  of  ceremonial  obser- 
vances, he  has  not  destroyed,  but  completed  those 
parts  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  which,  being  of 
permanent  and  universal  utility,  are  perpetually 
binding.  If  Jesus  has  called  his  people  unto  liberty, 
it  is  not  that  they  may  "use  liberty  for  an  occasion 
to  the  flesh,  but  may  by  love  serve  one  another." 
G 


62  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

Gal.  V.  13.  Accordingly  we  find  the  New  Testa- 
ment not  only  abounding  with  the  doctrine  and 
duties  of  Christian  stewardship ;  but  it  not  ob- 
scurely teaches  that  it  is  a  part  of  religious  worship 
that  should  be  as  statedly  and  systematically  ob- 
served as  any  other. 


THE    GOOD   STEWARD.  63 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Systematic  beneficence  a  part  of  Christian  worship. 

Let  the  reader  keep  in  mind  the  definition  of 
worship  already  given,  viz.,  the  cherishing  in  the 
heart  faith  in  God,  and  proper  sentiments  of  love 
and  veneration  for  him ;  and  the  appropriate  ex- 
pression of  these  sentiments  by  outward  acts  or 
forms.  This,  when  performed  according  to  God's 
revealed  will,  is  true  worship  ;  and  we  maintain 
that  the  gospel  plan  of  benevolence  is  to  secure  the 
frequent  and  systematic  "doing  of  alms,"  by  re- 
taining it  as  a  part  of  the  regular  worship  of  God. 
It  is  a  part  of  the  Christian  worship,  as  it  was  of 
the  Israelitish,  to  express  their  faith,  love,  gratitude, 
zeal,  humility,  submission,  and  other  pious  senti- 
ments, by  bringing  offerings  to  the  Lord.  We 
propose  to  prove,  first,  that  it  is  a  part  of  regular 
public  worship,  and  then,  that  it  is  also  a  part  of 
family  and  private  religion.  And  our  difficulty  is, 
not  to  find  a  sufficient  number  of  Scriptures  to  prove 
our  position,  but  to  make  a  proper  selection,  so  as 
not  unduly  to  cumber  our  pages  and  weary  the 
reader.     We  prove  it, 

I.  From  the  fact  that  the  Old  Testament  prophecies 


64  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

contemplate  the  bringing  of  gifts  and  offerings  to 
the  Lord,  as  a  part  of  the  worship  of  God,  in  the 
times  of  Messiah.  Isaiah,  chap.  Ix.,  in  predicting 
gospel  times,  and  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  de- 
clares "  They  shall  bring  gold  and  incense,  and  they 
shall  show  forth  the  praises  of  Jehovah.  *  *  * 
All  the  flocks  of  Kedar  shall  be  gathered  together  to 
thee,  the  rams  of  Nebaioth  shall  minister  unto  thee. 
*  *  *  Surely  the  isles  shall  wait  for  me,  the 
ships  of  Tarshish  first,  to  bring  thy  sons  from  far, 
their  silver  and  their  gold  with  them,  unto  the  name 
of  the  Lord  thy  God."  Indeed  the  whole  chapter 
is  descriptive  of  the  abundance  of  the  means,  that 
shall  be  furnished  by  Christian  liberality,  for  the 
support  of  the  church  and  the  advancement  of  God's 
glory.  And  let  it  be  particularly  observed,  that 
these  offerings  were  to  be  made  in  connexion  with 
prayer,  "  incense,"  and  are  represented  to  be  "  unto 
the  name  of  the  Lord  God ;"  i.  e.,  is  as  a  worship- 
ful expression  of  their  veneration  for  his  name. 
Zechariah,  predicting  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  the 
day  when  "  the  Lord  shall  be  King  over  the  whole 
earth,"  speaks  of  the  "  gathering  together  of  the 
wealth  of  the  Heathen,  and  gold  and  silver  and  ap- 
parel in  great  abundance."  Zech.  xiv.  14.  By  Ma- 
lachi  also,  i.  11,  the  Lord  declares,  "  From  the  rising 
of  the  sun  unto  the  going  down  of  the  same,  my  name 
shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles :  and  in  every 
place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  name  and  a 
pure  offering."     ^'  My  name  shall  be  great"  means 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  tT5 

"  I  shall  be  worshipped" — and  he  specifies  by  adding 
that  "incense" — i.  e.,  praise  and  prayer,  "shall  be 
offered"  in  every  place,  and  a  pure  offering.  For, 
comparing  this  passage  with  Ps.  cxli.  2,  and  Rev. 
V.  8,  and  viii.  3,  we  learn  that  incense  denotes  praise 
and  prayer.  Thus  have  we  a  prediction  that  under 
the  gospel,  prayer,  praise,  and  pure  offerings  shall 
be  made.  And  as  we  know  that  no  strictly  sacri- 
ficial offerings  are  lawful,  these  can  only  be  offerings 
of  "the  first-fruits  of  our  increase"  to  the  honour 
of  God,  and  they  are  to  be  offered  as  part  of  religious 
worship.  Accordingly,  the  duties  of  Christian  bene- 
ficence are,  in  the  New  Testament,  expressly  called 
sacrifices.  Heb.  xiii.  16.  "  But  to  do  good  and  to 
communicate  (contribute)  forget  not  for  with  such 
sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased."  And  Paul  quotes 
the  ceremonial  law,  as  authority  for  the  duty  of 
contributing  to  the  support  of  the  ministry.  1  Cor. 
ix.  9,  10,  13,  14.  "  It  is  written  in  the  law  of 
Moses,  thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  mouth  of  the  ox 
that  treadeth  out  the  corn.  Doth  God  take  care  of 
oxen?  Or  saith  he  it  altogether  for  our  sakes? 
For  our  sakes,  no  doubt,  this  is  written.  Do  ye  not 
know  that  they  which  minister  about  holy  things, 
live  of  the  things  of  the  temple,  and  they  which  wait 
at  the  altar  are  partakers  of  the  altar?  Even  so 
hath  the  Lord  ordained,  that  they  which  preach 
the  gospel  should  live  of  the  gospel." 

II.  Christ  "  hath  not  destroyed,  but  fulfilled"  that 
part  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  which  contem- 
6  * 


66  THE    GOOD   STEWARD. 

plated  the  continuance  of  devout  offering  of  property 
to  the  Lord,  as  a  part  of  religion.  This  part  of 
worship  is  not  abrogated  in  the  New  Testament,  but 
is  repeatedly  enjoined  as  a  religious  duty  ;  for, 

(a.)  The  very  first  act  of  worship,  that  is  recorded 
in  the  New  Testament,  as  offered  to  the  infant  Jesus, 
was  accompanied  by  oblations  of  property.  The 
wise  men  "  fell  down  and  worshipped  him ;  and,  when 
they  had  opened  their  treasures,  they  presented 
(margin,  offered)  unto  him  gifts,  gold,  frankincense 
and  myrrh."  And  these  men,  we  are  told,  were 
"  warned  of  God"  in  their  proceedings.  This  is  a 
literal  fulfilment  of  prohecy.  See  Ps.  Ixxii.  10,  15. 
and  Isai.  Ix.  6. 

(b.)  Christ  himself,  whilst  a  member  of  the  Jewish 
Church,  and  "in  the  condition  of  a  servant,"  (Phil, 
ii.  7,)  set  us  the  example  of  offering;  for,  in  this 
respect,  he  "fulfilled  all  righteousness." 

(c.)  In  the  sermon  upon  the  mount,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  present  an  abridgement  of  the  princi- 
ples of  his  kingdom,  and  to  correct  the  erroneous 
glosses  that  had  been  put  upon  the  law  of  God, 
Christ,  so  far  from  abrogating  the  law  of  faithful 
stewardship,  reasserts  it,  and  expounds  the  true 
principle  of  alms-giving.  In  Matt.  vi.  1-18,  he 
mentions  "alms-doing"  as  a  part  of  religious  wor- 
ship :  "  Take  heed  that  ye  do  not  your  piety*  [or 
religion-righteousness]  before  men,  to  be   seen  of 

*  Griesbach  and  the  best  critics  retain  SiKaioffw^v  as  the  true 
reading. 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  67 

them,"  V.  1.  This  is  a  general  precept  not  to  be 
ostentatious  in  acts  of  worship :  and  in  the  follow- 
ing verses  several  parts  of  worship  are  specified, 
and  directions  are  given  concerning  the  spirit  and 
manner  in  which  they  should  be  performed.  Alms- 
doing,  prayer,  fasting,  and  so  on,  are  mentioned  in 
their  order.  Now  these  directions  were  given  to 
his  disciples  ;  (for  it  was  they  he  was  teaching — see 
chap.  V.  1,  2  ;)  and  it  is  proof  positive,  that  he  ex- 
pected them  to  practise  these  parts  of  religion.  In 
this  sermon  also,  we  have  proof,  that  alms-doing 
was  a  part  of  the  synagogue  service;  and  a  very 
strong  presumption  is  here  created,  that  Christ 
designed  that  his  disciples  should  model  the  Chris- 
tian worship  after  that  service.  For  he  does  not 
suggest  any  change  in  the  form,  but  only  the  spirit 
and  manner  with  which  the  hypocrites  observed  it. 
(d.)  Christ  sanctioned  the  pious  offering  of  pro- 
perty in  his  service,  permitting  many  of  his  female 
followers,  and  others,  to  "  minister  unto  him  of 
their  substance,"  although  he  might  have  supplied 
his  own  and  his  disciples'  wants,  by  miracle. 
Indeed  from  the  very  first,  there  seems  to  have  been 
a  common  treasury  in  the  family  of  our  Lord ;  for 
we  are  told  that  Judas  "  had  the  bag  [literally  the 
casket,  or  box]  and  bare  what  was  put  therein;"* 
and  that,  under  Christ's  directions,  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  purchasing  necessaries.      Indeed,  Judas 

*  Literally  "  things  cast  in,"  or  contributions.  John  xii.  6, 
and  xiii.  29. 


68  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

seems  to  have  been  the  steward,  or  treasurer  of  the 
household :  and  if  he  was  unfaithful,  and  appropri- 
ated to  himself  a  part  of  his  Lord's  funds,  his 
dreadful  doom  should  prove  a  warning  to  all  others, 
to  avoid  the  sin  of  unjust  stewardship. 

(e.)  Christ  taught  his  disciples  when  he  sent  them 
forth  to  preach,  to  rely  upon  the  offerings  of  the 
people  for  their  support:  "for  the  workman  is 
worthy  of  his  hire."  Luke  x.  7. 

(/.)  Christ  emphatically  commended  the  costly 
offering  of  spikenard  ointment  which  the  pious 
Mary  brought,  to  anoint  his  feet.  She  had  kept  it, 
as  he  tells  us,  "against  the  day  of  his  burial," 
though,  most  likely,  the  gentle  worshipper  knew  not 
the  full  meaning  of  what  she  was  doing.  She  was 
sweetly  inclined  "  to  work  a  good  work  upon  him," 
she  scarce  knew  how  or  wherefore,  it  may  be.  But 
Jesus,  whose  Spirit  inclined  her  thereto,  commended 
her :  "  She  hath  done  what  she  could.,  she  is  come  be- 
forehand to  anoint  my  body  to  the  burying."  Mark 
xiv.  and  John  xii.  The  covetous  Judas  was  indig- 
nant, and  could  see  no  propriety  in  "this  waste." 
He  had  a  sudden  fit  of  charity  for  the  poor,  as  many 
have,  who  can  see  no  use  in  anointing  Christ's  body, 
and  who  make  a  pretended  love  for  the  poor  the 
excuse  for  withholding  contributions  for  evangelical 
purposes.  But  the  Lord  judged  differently ;  and 
predicted  that  the  story  of  Mary's  beneficence  should 
accompany  the  announcement  of  the  gospel  in  all 
lands,  and  in  all  time.     And  is  there  no  object  in 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  69 

this,  besides  being  "a  memorial  of  her?"  Is  the 
universal  spread  and  perpetuity  of  this  story  de- 
signed to  accomplish  no  higher  object  than  to 
impart  to  an  humble  female  a  deathless  fame? 
Surely  it  has.  It  is  designed  to  teach  all  men, 
"  wherever  this  gospel  is  preached,  throughout  the 
world,"  that  it  is  "  a  good  work"  to  contribute  to 
anoint  the  body  of  Christ;  to  worship  him  in  the 
devout  bestowment  of  those  means  whereby  "  the 
anointing  which  teacheth  all  things  and  is  truth," 
1  John  ii.  27,  may  be  imparted  to  the  whole  chosen 
race;  to  offer  those  oblations  of  prayer,  property, 
and  labour,  which  are  demanded  for  the  great 
evangelizing  work  ;  so  that  "  his  body,  which  is  the 
church,"  Eph.  i.  23,  may  be  anointed  with  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  and  so  that  its  members,  like  its  glorious 
Head,  may  be  buried  in  trust,  and  raised  in  triumph  ! 
But,  in  the  narrative  of  this  touching  scene  at 
Bethany,  we  are  also  taught,  that  the  church  "  shall 
have  the  poor  always  with  her,  and  whenever  she 
will,  she  may  do  them  good."  Mark  xiv.  7.  She  will 
never  be  deprived  of  objects  of  charity,  nor  of  the 
luxury  of  doing  good.  This  means  of  grace  will 
never  be  taken  from  her,  whilst  she  is  in  her 
militant  state.     But  we  prove  our  position, 

III.  From  the  fact  that  the  Apostles,  to  whom 
"  the  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  was  committed"  at 
first,  and  who,  under  the  inspiration  and  guidance 
of  the  ^oly  Ghost,  organized  the  New  Testament 
church,  and  gave  form  to  its  worship,  taught  the 


70  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

doctrines  and  duties  of  Christian  stewardship,  and 
retained  systematic  beneficence  as  a  part  of  the 
worship  of  God. 

Of  the  many  proofs  of  this  we  can  offer  but  a  few. 
We  have  already  seen  that  Christ  intimated 
in  the  sermon  on  the  mount,  that  it  would  be  so. 
And  that  they  carried  out  his  directions,  we  have 
proof, 

1.  In  Acts  ii.  42,  where  the  worship  of  the  primi- 
tive congregations  is  described.  "And  they  con- 
tinued steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  doctrine,  and 
fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  pray- 
ers." In  this  verse,  communicating  of  worldly 
substance  is  mentioned  as  part  of  religious  worship. 
But  as  this  is  not  at  first  obvious  to  the  English 
reader,  some  exegetical  explanation  is  needed. 
Notice  then, 

As  Christ,  at  his  baptism,  had  been  pointed  out, 
by  the  descent  upon  him  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  as 
the  Head  of  the  church  beloved  of  the  Father :  see 
Matt.  iii.  18,  17,  compared  with  Isai  xlii.  1 ;  so,  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  by  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  disciples  were  designated  and  endowed 
as  the  visible  church,  the  body  of  Christ.  This 
awfully  interesting  scene  the  historian  describes  in 
the  first  part  of  this  chapter.  He  then  reports  the 
substance  of  Peter's  sermon,  and  the  effect  it  pro- 
duced under  the  power  of  God's  Spirit:  thpusands 
convinced  of  sin  and  inquiring,  "  Men  and  brethren, 
what  shall  we  do?"     He   then   states   that  three 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  71 

thousand  were  the  same  day  added  to  the  church ; 
which,  with  the  five  hundred  brethren  previously 
associated,  constituted  the  primitive  Christian  church 
at  Jerusalem.  And  it  is  of  this  church  the  historian 
says,  in  the  fourteenth  verse,  that  they  continued 
steadfastly  in  the  apostle's  doctrine,  and  in  fellow- 
ship, and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayers." 

This  is  a  brief  description  of  their  mode  of 
worship ;  which  consisted  of  four  distinct  parts,  viz., 
the  doctrine  of  the  apostles,  i.  e.^  preaching  and  in- 
struction;  fellowship  or  communication;  the  break- 
ing of  bread,  i.  e.,  the  Lord's  supper  ;  and  prayers. 
Now  the  second  of  these  we  believe  to  be  the  com- 
munication or  contribution  of  money  or  other  pro- 
perty for  the  general  expenses  of  religion  and  the 
support  of  the  poor.  The  Greek  word  translated 
fellowship,  is  koinonia,  xocvcovia^  and  it  means  com- 
munication, participation,  fellowship  in  any  benefit. 
The  verbal  form  of  the  word  means  to  communicate, 
to  impart,  to  participate.  In  this  place  it  cannot 
denote  partaking  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  for  that  is 
designated  by  the  separate  phraseology,  "the 
breaking  of  bread."  Neither  can  it  mean  fellow- 
ship with  the  apostles,  in  the  way  of  social  inter- 
course, for  that  is  an  unauthorized  sense  of  the 
word ;  and  the  apostles  could  not  be  socially  inti- 
mate with  such  a  multitude.  And  the  construction 
of  the  entire  sentence  presents,  to  the  eye  of  the 
Greek  scholar,  such  a  separation  of  the  phrase 
"fellowship,"  from  the  preceding  and  succeeding 


72  THE    GOOD   STEWAKD. 

words,  as  to  give  it  a  distinct  and  independent 
meaning.  The  conjunction  and  the  article  are  both 
repeated,  which  is  not  done  when  words  are  in  ap- 
position, xac  TYj  xoivcovia.  To  get  the  true  force 
of  the  construction,  it  must  be  read,  "  the  doctrine 
of  the  apostles,  and  the  fellowship  or  communica- 
tion, and  the  breaking  of  bread,  and  the  prayers." 
We  think,  therefore,  that  the  historian  designed  to 
inform  us  that  communication,  or  pious  beneficence, 
was  observed  in  the  primitive  congregations,  as 
part  of  their  worship;  just  as  it  had  been  in  the 
synagogue  service,  to  which  these  converts  had  been 
accustomed. 

The  use  of  this  word  \_xocvcovia]  in  other  parts  of 
the  New  Testament  authorizes  the  above  interpre- 
tation. Look  at  a  few  examples.  ''  For  it  hath 
pleased  them  of  Macedonia  and  Achaia  to  make  a  cer- 
tain contribution  \xoivco)>>'tfi\  for  the  poor  saints  which 
are  at  Jerusalem."  Rom.  xv.  26.  In  his  second  epistle 
to  the  Corinthians,  ix.  13,  Paul,  in  urging  believers 
to  liberality,  says,  "  They  glorify  God,  for  your 
professed  subjection  to  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  for 
your  liberal  distribution  [xocvcovlaz^  unto  them  and 
unto  all  men."  In  Phil.  iv.  15,  the  apostle  uses  the 
verbal  form  of  the  word,  when  speaking  of  his  de- 
parture from  Macedonia,  in  the  same  sense,  "no 
church  communicated  with  me  [kxocvcbvTjasi/]  con- 
cerning giving  and  receiving  but  ye  only."  "  Take 
upon  us  the  fellowship  [xocvwi^iav]  of  ministering 
to  the  saints."     2    Cor.    viii.    4.    In  the  charge,  in 


THE   aOOD    STEWARD.  73 

"which  Timothy  is  enjoined  to  give  to  "  the  rich  in 
this  world,  that  they  be  rich  in  good  works,  ready 
to  distribute,  willing  to  communicate^'"  1  Tim.  vi. 
17,  18,  the  word  is  used  in  the  same  sense.  In 
Heb.  xiii.  16,  the  same  word  is  used  in  such  a  con- 
nection, as  to  show  that  its  gospel  sense  is  fellow- 
ship in  one  another's  resources,  i.  e.,  distribution, 
beneficence ;  and  also  that  xocvwvia  is  a  part  of  re- 
ligious worship.  Let  the  reader  turn  to  the  pas- 
sage, and  he  will  see,  that  in  verse  12,  the  apostle 
had  spoken  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  who,  "  that 
he  might  sanctify  the  people,  with  his  own  blood, 
suff*ered  without  the  gate."  *'By  him,  therefore," 
urges  he  in  the  fifteenth  verse,  "let  us  off"er  the 
sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the 
fruit  of  our  lips,  giving  thanks  to  his  name." 
''But,"  adds  he  in  verse  sixteen,  ''to  do  good  and 
to  communicate,  forget  not,  for  with  such  sacrifices 
God  is  well  pleased."  Here  notice,  {a.)  "to  do 
good"  and  "to  communicate"  are  nouns,  in  the 
Greek  eupoiias  and  koinonias,  eunocta^  xai  xocvcoviaz ; 
so  that  literally  rendered,  it  is  "  But  forget  not  well- 
doing, and  communication,  {koinonias.)  (b.)  Bene- 
ficence and  communication,  or  contribution,  are 
called  New  Testament  sacrifices,  and  are  mentioned 
in  connection  with  praise  and  thanksgiving  as  parts 
of  worship.  The  above  array  of  passages,  in  which 
this  word  is  used,  proves  that  its  New  Testament 
sense  is  communication,  or  contribution,  and  that 
Luke  designs  to  say,  in  Acts  ii.  42,  that  one  part 
7    • 


74  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

of  the  worship  of  the  primitive  Christian  congrega- 
tions was  "  contribution,"  and  that  therefore  their 
beneficence  was  frequent  and  systematic.  This 
view  is  confirmed  too  by  the  cLassic  use  of  the  word. 
Schleusner,  and  other  lexicographers  of  the  first 
authority,  give  the  senses  "  communication  of  bene- 
fits, liberality,  beneficence,  alms,  collection  for  the 
poor."  Calvin  also  in  commenting  on  the  place, 
remarks,  "  Luke  doth  not  in  vain  reckon  up  these 
four  things,  viz.,  attending  upon  the  word,  contri- 
bution, the  Lord's  Supper,  and  prayers,  when  he 
describes  to  us  the  well-ordered  state  of  the  church." 
These  views  will  be  strengthened  when  we  consider 
our  next  proof. 

2.  The  Christian  church  and  its  worship  was 
modelled  after  the  synagogue  service  of  the  Jews. 
We  have  shown  in  a  preceding  section,  that  the 
synagogue  worship  consisted  in  part  of  contribu- 
tions, and  that  they  had  officers,  diakonoi,  to  receive 
and  distribute  the  gifts  of  the  worshippers.  To  this 
form  of  worship  all  the  original  members  of  the 
primitive  church  had  been  accustomed  ;  and  we  have 
both  scriptural  and  historical  evidence,  that  the 
same  system  of  worship,  with  such  modifications 
only  as  their  new  circumstances  demanded,  was 
transferred  to  the  Christian  congregations. 

That  the  practice  of  bringing  offerings,  in  con- 
nexion with  their  acts  of  worship,  obtained  in  the 
primitive  church,  is  proven  both  by  the  testimony 
of  the  early  fathers  and  by  Scripture. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  75 

Justin  Martyr,  who  wrote  his  Apology  for  the 
Christians  about  A.  D.  140,  after  explaining  their 
view^s  of  the  sacraments,  says,  "  On  the  day  which 
is  called  Sunday,  there  is  an  assembly  in  one  place, 
of  all  who  dwell  either  in  towns  or  in  the  country, 
and  the  writings  of  the  apostles  or  of  the  prophets 
are  read,  as  long  as  time  permits.  Then  when  the 
reader  has  ceased,  the  president  or  pastor  delivers 
a  discourse,  in  which  he  instructs  the  people,  and 
exhorts  to  carry  into  practice  such  lovely  precepts. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  discourse,  we  all  rise  up 
together  and  pray.  Then,  when  the  prayer  i3 
ended,  as  we  have  already  said,  bread  is  brought, 
and  wine  and  water,*  and  the  president,  as  before, 
offers  up  prayers  and  thanksgiving  w^ith  all  the 
fervency  he  is  able ;  and  the  people  express  their 
assent  by  saying,  Amen.  The  consecrated  elements 
are  then  distributed  and  received  by  every  one, 
and  a  portion  is  seat  by  the  deacons  to  those  who 
are  absent.  Each  of  those  who  have  abundance 
and  are  willing — for  every  one  is  at  liberty — con- 
tributes what  he  thinks  fit,  and  what  is  collected  is 
deposited  with  the  president,  who  succours  the 
fatherless  and  the  widows  ;  and  those  who  are  in 
necessity,  from  disease  or  any  other  cause ;  such 
as  are  in  bonds,  and  strangers  that  come  from  afar 
— and  in  a  word  he  is  the   guardian   and  almoner 

*  Probably  to  dilute  the  wine,  which  was  sometimes  kept 
in  a  thick  state,  and  before  being  drunk  was  "  mingled." 
See  Prov.  is.  2,  *'  Wisdom — hath  mingled  htr  wine." 


76  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

to  all  the  indigent."  TertuUian,  who  addressed  an 
Apology  for  the  Christians  to  the  Governess  of 
Proconsular  Africa  ahout  A.  D.  200,  bears  a  similar 
testimony :  but  we  deem  it  unnecessary  to  occupy 
space  with  quotations.     [See  Reeves'  Apologies.] 

The  testimony  of  these  writers,  one  of  whom  lived 
almost  contemporary  with  the  last  of  the  apostles, 
goes  to  prove  that  the  early  churches  had  adopted 
the  mode  of  worship  of  the  synogogue,  and  that 
contribution  was  a  part  thereof.  It  throws  light 
also  upon  the  Scripture  declaration  relating  to  this 
subject,  and  accords  with  the  general  tenor  of  Scrip- 
ture usage. 


THE  GOOD   STEWARD.  7T 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Additional  proofs  that  oblation  is  a  part  of  Christian  worship. 

The  last  chapter  was  occupied  with  proofs  of  the 
position  that  beneficence  is  a  part  of  Christian 
worship ;  and  as  we  deem  this  position  of  great  im- 
portance we  will  add  some  other  evidence. 

3.  Our  third  argument  is  based  upon  the  fact 
that,  at  an  early  period,  the  office  of  deacon  or 
minister  of  alms,  which  had  existed  in  the  syna- 
gogue, was  established  by  the  apostles,  in  the 
primitive  church.  Finding  that  attention  to  this, 
in  connexion  with  the  other  parts  of  the  church 
service,  rendered  their  labours  too  burdensome, 
they  established  this  order  of  officers,  for  the  very 
purpose  of  securing  and  distributing  the  offerings 
of  the  peopTe.  These  officers  were  elected  by  the 
people,  and  solemnly  ordained  with  the  laying  on  of 
hands  to  "  this  business."  The  office  was  intro- 
duced into  all  the  churches,  and  was  evidently  de- 
signed to  be  perpetual ;  for  Paul,  in  his  first  letter 
to  Timothy  (iii.  8-13),  describes  the  qualifications 
of  deacons,  and  the  advantage  that  is  to  be  derived 
from  the  right  exercise  of  the  office.  Now  we 
7* 


78  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

argue  that,  if  officers  are  to  be  ordained  in  the 
churches  "  over  this  business,"  the  business  itself 
is  a  part  of  the  service  of  the  church.  And  this 
argument  is  strengthened  bj  a  consideration  of  the 
reasons  which  the  apostles  assigned  for  the  institu- 
tion of  the  office,  viz.,  ''  but  we  will  give  ourselves 
continually  to  prayer  and  the  ministry  (deaconry) 
of  the  word."  The  Apostles  and  other  "  pastors 
and  teachers"  attended  to  the  "prayers  and  the 
ministry  of  the  word,"  the  diakonoi  to  the  ministry 
of  collection  and  distribution.  All  were  ecclesiasti- 
cal officers,  all  officiated  in  the  worship  of  the 
church,  the  one  class  as  ministers  of  prayer  and 
the  word,  the  other  class  to  the  ministry  of 
alms. 

4.  Liberality  is  frequently  mentioned  as  a  promi- 
nent characteristic  of  the  primitive  Christians.  So 
constant  and  faithful  were  they  in  this  part  of  wor- 
ship, that  they  are  represented  as  having  all  things 
common.  Acts  ii.  44,  45,  and  iv.  32,  37.  This  is 
commended  as  part  of  their  religion,  by  which  they 
**  glorified  God  and  had  power  with  men."  We  do 
not  believe  that  they  had  an  absolute  community  of 
goods.  The  historian  does  not  say  so.  All  the 
things  that  were  common,  were  such  as  were  put  in 
the  common  fund,  or  distributed  in  private  charity. 
The  owners  of  the  property  still  retained  it  under 
their  own  control,  until  they,  by  their  own  voluntary 
act,  devoted  it  to  the  Lord,  and  the  service  of  his 
church.      Inspect  the  narrative,  and  this   will   be 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  79 

manifest.  Acts  iv.  31-37.  Each  sold  his  own 
land,  or  other  goods,  and  brought  the  proceeds,  or 
such  portion  thereof  as  he  chose,  and  '*  laid  it 
down  at  the  Apostle's  feet."  Joses  sold  his  own 
land.  Ananias  and  Sapphira  sold  their  possessions. 
And  had  they  not  devoted  it  to  God,  they  might 
have  kept  any  part  of  it,  without  committing  the 
dreadful  sin  of  lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  Peter 
acknowledges  this,  in  his  address  to  the  man. 
"  While  it  remained,  was  it  not  thine  own,  and  after 
it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thine  own  power  ?"  Their 
sin  was  keeping  back  part  of  the  price,  after  they 
had  devoted  the  whole  of  it  to  God  ;  and  attempt- 
ing to  deceive  the  Apostles  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  by 
concealing  the  fact,  thus  violating  their  vow,  and 
insulting  the  omniscient  Spirit.  Their  sin  was  the 
same  with  that  of  Achan,  differing  only  in  this  : 
Achan  embezzled  property  devoted  or  accursed  to 
destruction ;  they  embezzled  property  that  had  been 
devoted  to  the  Lord.  Yet  whilst  the  preposterous 
scheme  of  a  comm'unity  of  goods  is  not  recommended 
by  the  example  of  the  primitive  church,  it  is  true 
that  such  was  their  liberality,  that  their  common 
treasury  overflowed,  "  and  distribution  was  made  to 
every  man  according  as  he  had  need."  None 
enjoyed  selfishly  what  his  brother  lacked,  but  all 
comforts  and  supplies  that  any  possessed  were 
common  to  all. 

5.  Our  fifth  proof  is  that  the  first  sin  committed 
in  the  apostolic  church,  which  called  for  terrible  dis- 


80  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

cipline,  was,  like  the  first  sin  in  Paradise,  and  the 
first  sin  after  the  entrance  of  the  church  into  Ca- 
naan, a  sin  of  covetousness,  an  act  of  unfaithful 
steiuardsliip.  It  was  committed  in  the  place  of 
public  worship.  It  was  construed  to  be  an  insult 
to  the  Holy  Ghost,  being  an  attempt  to  pass  upon 
him  a  lie  and  a  deception,  in  an  act  of  public  wor- 
ship, for  the  lie  was  "not  unto  men,  but  unto 
God." 

But  omitting,  for  fear  of  prolixity,  many  other 
Scripture  proofs,  we  proceed  to  show, 

6.  That  the  plan  of  Christian  beneficence  prac- 
tised in  the  apostolic  and  the  early  churches,  was 
ordained  by  apostolic  authority.  We  mean  the 
plan  of  depositing  in  the  Lord's  treasury,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  an  offering  proportionate  to 
the  prosperity  of  the  offerer.  In  1  Cor.  xvi.  1,  2, 
Paul  gives  directions  as  follows  :  "  Now  concerning 
the  collection  for  the  saints,  as  I  have  given  order 
to  the  churches  of  Galatia,  even  so  do  ye.  Upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every  one  of  you  lay 
by  him  in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him,  that 
there  be  no  gatherings  when  I  come."  In  the  first 
verse  the  word  translated  "given  order,"  is  the 
same  that  is  elsewhere  rendered  ordained.  And 
the  full  force  of  verse  second  is  not  brought  out  in 
our  translation.  M'Knight  translates  it  thus,  "  On 
the  first  day  of  every  week,  let  each  one  of  you  lay 
somewhat  by  itself,  according  as  he  may  have  pros- 
pered, putting  it  into  the  treasury,  that  when  I 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  81 

come  there  may  be  no  collections."  We  give  the 
following,  which  we  deem  still  more  literal.  ''  On 
every  first  day  of  the  week,  let  every  one  of  you 
place  by  him,  (or  take  with  him,)  to  put  into  the 
treasury  (literally  putting  into  the  treasury)  some- 
what as  he  hath  been  prospered."  As  kata  ecclesian, 
xaza  ixxlqacav^  means  every  church.  Acts  xiv.  23, 
and  kata  fol'in^  xaza  Tzoltv,  every  city.  Acts  xv. 
21,  so  kata  mian  sahhaton,  xaza  fAav  aa^^dzcov^  m 
this  passage  means  every  first  day  of  the  week. 
And  the  reason  assigned  by  the  apostles  for  or- 
daining this  plan :  "  that  there  be  no  collections 
when  I  come,"  shuts  us  up  to  the  propriety  of 
giving  thesauridzon,  ^r^daopiCcoi^,  its  literal  meaning, 
treasuring  up,  or  putting  into  a  treasury :  for,  if 
they  had  not  brought  their  contributions  with  them 
to  the  treasury,  but  kept  them  at  home,  then  there 
must  have  been  collections,  in  the  churches  of 
Corinth,  when  he  came.  The  reader  will  excuse 
this  minute  criticism.  It  is  necessary  to  the  true 
explication  of  this  passage,  and  we  trust  it  will 
enable  him  to  perceive,  that  the  following  points 
are  here  settled  by  apostolic  authority.  1.  That 
the  plan  of  depositing  contributions  in  the  Lord's 
treasury,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  is  a  good 
plan.  2.  That  it  was  enjoined  by  the  apostle  upon 
quite  a  number  of  churches,  at  least  for  a  time: 
"  as  I  have  ordained  in  the  churches  of  Galatia,  so 
do  ye."  3.  That  it  was  ordained,  or  set  in  order, 
as  a  regular  system  in  those  churches.     Now  in 


82  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

reading  the  Epistle  of  Paul  to  these  Galatian 
churches,  we  find  that  he  gives  full  instructions  to 
them,  in  regard  to  the  perpetual  duty  of  stated 
Christian  beneficence :  so  that  there  is  a  strong 
presumption  that  the  plan  which  he  had  set  in  order 
amongst  them,  was  to  be  permanent.  And  this 
presumption  becomes  a  certainty,  when  we  remem- 
ber that  what  the  apostle  had  ordained  in  these 
churches  was  a  part  of  Christian  worship,  and  had 
been  observed  by  other  churches  from  the  day  of 
Pentecost  onward.  This  collection  for  the  poor 
saints  at  Jerusalem,  may  have  been  an  extraor- 
dinary one,  but  it  was  to  be  taken  in  the  ordinary 
manner. 

In  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  the  apostle  re- 
peatedly presses  the  duty  of  Christian  beneficence. 
In  ch.  ii.  10,  he  recognizes  the  duty  of  remember- 
ing the  poor.  In  ch.  v.  13,  14,  he  enforces  the 
golden  rule,  "  by  love  serve  one  another — love  thy 
neighbour  as  thyself."  In  the  last  chapter  he  urges 
them  to  "  bear  one  another's  burdens,  and  so  fulfil 
the  law  of  Christ."  verse  2.  In  verses  6-8,  he  en- 
joins the  support  of  the  ministry,  and  sharply  re- 
proves the  niggardly  discharge  of  this  duty  :  "  Let 
him  that  is  taught  communicate,  \xoivcoveiTco,'\  give 
a  part,  contribute  to  him  that  teacheth,  in  all  good 
things  ;"  and  in  verse  10th,  "  as  we  therefore  have 
opportunity,  let  us  work  good  to  all  men,  especially 
to  them  that  are  of  the  household  of  faith."  We 
have,  therefore,  conclusive  proof,  that  the  apostle 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  83 

urged  upon  the  churches  of  Galatia  the  doctrines 
and  the  duties  of  Christian  stewardship,  and  that, 
in  the  same  churches,  he  had  "set  in  order"  the 
plan  of  regular  Sabbath  collections. 

And  this  was  no  new  plan  ;  for  God  never  en- 
couraged his  people  to  "  come  before  him  empty." 
He  had  always  required  the  homage  of  the  heart, 
and  the  "  calves  of  the  lips,"  to  be  accompanied  by 
the  offering  of  the  hand.  And  when  we  ponder  the 
foregoing  considerations,  in  connexion  with  one  yet 
to  be  stated,  viz.,  that  beneficence  is  a  means  of 
grace,  we  cannot  doubt  that  this  religious  duty  ought 
to  be  performed  as  spiritually,  as  systematically, 
and  as  faithfully  as  any  other  ;  and  at  least  as  often 
as  the  Sabbath  returns. 

If  these  be  Scriptural  views,  if  God  doth  indeed 
so  teach  his  church  in  his  holy  word ;  then  ought 
the  system  of  "  bringing  with  us,  to  put  into  the 
treasury  somewhat,  as  God  hath  prospered  us"  to 
be  restored  in  the  churches.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
Stand  ye  in  the  ways,  and  see,  and  ask  for  the 
old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and  walk  therein, 
and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls."  Jer.  vi.  16. 

But  even  if  the  church  will  not  hearken  to  tlie 
teachings  of  the  Bible,  and  restore  "  the  old  way" 
of  first-day  collections,  it  would  undoubtedly  be  ad- 
vantageous, if  individuals  and  families  would  return 
to  this  much  neglected  part  of  worship. 

But  before  leaving  this  part  of  the  subject  we 
must  not  neglect  to  point  out  one  important  feature 


84  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

of  the  plan  ordained  by  Paul  in  the  churches  of 
Galatia  and  Corinth,  viz.,  That  the  contributions 
were  to  be  made  on  every  first  day  of  the  week  ;  and 
that  every  one  was  enjoined  to  give  as  he  had  been 
prospered.  The  language  is  explicit :  "  every  one 
of  you."  If  this  precept  were  obeyed — if  every  one 
that  professes  to  love  Christ,  would  bring  his  offer- 
ing, and  perform  systematically  this  part  of  wor- 
ship— then  the  Lord's  treasury  would  overflow. 


THE    GOOD   STEWARD.  85 


CHAPTER   X. 

Beneficence  part  of  Private  and  Family  Religion. 

But  whilst  we  insist  that  contribution  is  a  part 
of  'public  worship,  we  would  not  have  it  inferred 
that  is  not  also  a  part  of  private  and  family  worship. 
So  far  from  this,  we  fully  believe  that  private 
charity,  and  family  beneficence,  are  also  lovely  and 
appropriate  and  appointed  expressions  of  the  wor- 
shipful sentiments  of  the  pious  heart. 

What  does  the  Spirit,  by  James,  say  of  the 
blessed  offerings  of  private  charity?  "Pure  re- 
ligion and  undefiled  before  God  and  the  Father  is 
this.  To  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their 
affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the 
world."  James  i.  27.  In  this  place,  the  word  which 
is  rendered  religion  (threskeia),  dpTjaxela^  denotes  a 
religious  ceremony^  or  the  outward  form  of  worship, 
rather  than  the  inward  sentiment.  This  is  the  New 
Testament  use  of  the  word  ;  as  the  reader  may 
satisfy  himself  by  consulting  the  other  places  where 
it  is  used.  E.  g.^  Acts  xxvi.  5,  "  After  the  straitest 
sect  of  our  religion,  I  lived  a  Pharisee."  Here  it 
denotes  the  Jewish  worsliip.  Col.  ii.  18.  "Let  no 
8 


86  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

m.an  beguile  you  of  your  reward  in  the  worshipping 
{tJireskeid)  of  angels."  True,  an  outward  form  is 
not  "pure  religion  before  God,"  unless  it  proceed 
from  heart-felt  piety ;  but  what  our  apostle  here 
teaches  is,  that  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  holy 
charity,  is  an  appropriate  expression  of  gratitude 
and  obedience  to  God,  is  a  pure  and  lovely  ceremony 
of  our  blessed  religion.  The  patriarch  Job,  in  re- 
calling the  days  when  he  took  delight  in  religion, 
"  when  the  candle  of  God  shined  upon  his  head," 
mentions  the  discharge  of  these  duties,  in  a  list  of 
the  religious  observances  in  which  he  delighted. 
"  I  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless, 
and  him  that  had  none  to  help  him,  *  *  *  and  I 
caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy."  Job  xxix. 
12,  13.  "Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  chosen, 
*  *  *  *  to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry, 
and  that  thou  bring  the  poor  that  are  cast  out  to 
thy  house  ?"  Isai.  Iviii.  6,  7.  And  numerous  pas- 
sages, in  the  teachings  of  our  Lord  and  his  apostles, 
prove  that  God  ought  to  be  honoured  by  private 
and  family  alms.  In  the  sermon  upon  the  Mount, 
he  gives  directions  for  alms-doing,  not  only  in  the 
synagogue,  but  in  the  streets,  and  enjoins  that  it 
be  rendered  as  a  religious  service  to  our  "  Father 
which  seeth  in  secret." 

As  we  have  already  stated,  when  he  sent  his  dis- 
ciples out  to  preach,  he  required  them  to  depend 
upon  private  and  family  hospitality ;  and  he  at- 
taches such   a  religious  importance  to  the  exercise 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  87 

of  this  grace,  that  he  declared  to  his  disciples,  that 
it  involved,  in  some  cases,  the  reception  or  rejection 
of  himself.  "  He  that  receiveth  you,  receiveth  me. 
*  *  *  He  that  receiveth  a  prophet  in  the  name  of  a 
prophet,  shall  receive  a  prophet's  reward ;  and  he 
that  receiveth  a  righteous  man  in  the  name  of  a 
righteous  man,  shall  receive  a  righteous  man's  re- 
ward. And  whosoever  shall  give  to  drink  unto  one 
of  these  little  ones,  a  cup  of  cold  water  only,  in  the 
name  of  a  disciple,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  shall 
in  no  wise  lose  his  reward."  Matt.  x.  40-42. 

Indeed  we  have  more  frequent  directions  about 
private  and  family  beneficence  than  we  have  about 
private  and  family  prayer ;  and  we  have  as  much 
reason  to  suppose,  that  there  is  no  prayer  to  be 
offered  except  public  prayer,  as  that  there  are  to  be 
no  alms  done  except  public  alms.  The  above  and 
many  other  passages  also  prove,  that  it  is  not  only 
an  ofiice  of  our  religion,  but  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant means  of  grace,  even  a  means  whereby, 
often,  Christ  and  He  that  sent  him  are  received : 
and  whereby  "the  righteous  man's  reward"  is  ob- 
tained. Even  the  smallest  act  of  charity  done  as 
an  act  of  spiritual  worship — "in  the  name  of  a  dis- 
ciple"— "as  to  the  Lord  and  not  to  men,"  shall  in 
no  wise  lose  its  reward. 

It  is  in  the  secrecy  of  the  individual  bosom,  and 
in  the  domestic  sanctuary,  that  the  elements  of  holy 
charity  can  be  most  efficiently  cultivated.  Indeed, 
there   is   a   truth   in    the   often-perverted   maxim, 


88  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

"  Charity  must  begin  at  home."  If  parents  would 
cherish  the  alms-doing  graces  in  their  closets,  and 
by  private  deeds  of  beneficence ;  and  if  they  would 
make  the  inculcation  of  the  doctrines,  and  the  ex- 
ercise of  the  duties  of  Christian  beneficence,  a  part 
of  family  worship,  we  have  no  doubt  that  the  re- 
sults to  themselves,  to  their  households,  and  to  the 
church  of  God,  would  be  most  glorious.  This 
might  be  done  with  great  profit  and  propriety  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  It  is  of  all  days  the 
most  suitable  for  alms-deeds.  Its  weekly  return 
reminds  us  of  creation,  providence,  and  redemption. 
Originally  appointed  to  commemorate  the  great 
fact  that  Jehovah  created  the  world,  and  the  great 
doctrine  that  he  is  "  possessor  of  heaven  and  of  earth," 
it  was  changed  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  to  com- 
memorate the  completion  of  a  new  creation,  by  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  the  redemption  of  the  world 
by  his  blood;  and  the  doctrine  that  "  we  are  not  our 
own,  but  bought  with  a  price,  and  therefore  bound 
to  glorify  God  with  our  bodies  and  spirits  which 
are  God's."  How  well  calculated  is  it,  then,  to 
remind  us,  that  God  is  our  sovereign  Creator  and 
Redeemer,  that  all  we  have  was  given  by  him,  and 
that  to  his  glory  we  should  employ  it !  How  well 
adapted  to  awaken  our  gratitude,  by  its  inspiring 
associations ;  and  how  distinctly  does  the  silent 
language  of  its  dawning  light  whisper  to  the  be- 
liever's heart,  "  to  do  good  and  to  communicate 
forget   not,  for   with   such   sacrifices    God  is  well 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  89 

pleased  !"  Heb.  xiii.  16.  Let  the  parents  and  tlie 
children,  therefore,  gather  around  the  family  altar 
on  the  Sabbath  morning  ;  let  the  fact  that  it  is  "  the 
Lord's  day,"  remind  them  that  they,  and  all  they 
have  are  the  Lord's ;  let  some  story  of  a  Saviour's 
beneficence  be  read,  some  doctrine  of  gratitude  and 
self-denial  taught,  some  song  of  thanksgiving  sung, 
a  prayer  resembling  the  Lord's  own  prayer  offered, 
and  then  let  "  every  one  place  by  him,  to  put  into 
the  treasury,  somewhat  as  he  hath  been  prospered," 
either  by  success  or  self  denial;  and  from  the  do- 
mestic to  the  public  sanctuary  will  flow  a  pure  and 
blessed  rill  of  living  waters,  to  swell  the  tide  of  that 
"river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the 
city  of  God !"  And  back  into  the  bosom  of  that 
family  will  flow,  with  a  current  peaceful  as  the  Sab- 
bath, and  sparkling  as  the  dew  of  heaven,  the 
perennial  waters  of  blessedness.  "  He  that  watereth 
shall  be  watered  also  himself !" 

Such,  as  the  writer  believes,  are  the   Scripture 
principles,  and  such  is  the  Scripture  plan  of  Chris- 
tian beneficence :  and  in  our  next  chapter  we  pro- 
pose succinctly  to  set  forth  its  advantages. 
8^ 


90  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Advantages  of  the  Scripture  Plan  of  Beneficence. 

1.  It  brings  the  duty  of  alms-giving  before  the 
conscience  with  all  the  solemnity  and  tenderness 
of  a  religious  claim.  It  exhibits  it  constantly  as  a 
part  of  the  worship  of  God,  which  we  may  not 
omit  without  sin.  And  when  a  man  feels  that  the 
duty,  industriously  to  acquire  property  with  a 
view  to  honour  the  Lord  with  it,  is  a  religious  duty, 
and  that  to  offer  a  part  of  what  he  acquires  to  the 
Lord,  is  a  part  of  Chi*istian  worship^  which  he  has 
no  more  right  to  neglect,  than  he  has  to  neglect 
prayer,  praise,  the  Sabbath,  or  the  sacraments,  he 
will  be  both  more  industrious  and  more  liberal. 

2.  Many  would  be  willing  to  give  a  little  at  a 
time,  and  iha,t  frequentli/^  who  might  be  tempted  to 
withhold  the  aggragate  of  those  littles,  if  demanded 
all  at  once.  An  aggregate  amount  presents  a  larger 
bait,  a  stronger  temptation  to  our  innate  covetous- 
ness,  than  do  the  several  smaller  sums  of  which  it 
is  composed.     Hence, 

3.  More  will  be  cast  into  the  Lord's  treasury  by 
this  systematic  method  of  collection. 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  91 

4.  The  plan  has  the  sanction  of  Divine  analogy. 
God  aggregates  hy  littles!  He  replenishes  the 
earth  and  the  springs  of  water,  not  by  waterspouts, 
but  by  drops,  lie  forms  globes  of  grains  of  sand. 
He  fills  the  ocean  from  the  mountain  rills.  He 
forms  the  mighty  oak  from  the  acorn.  He  erects 
his  kingdom  from  beginnings  small  as  the  germ  of 
the  mustard  seed.  He  thus  teaches  us  the  power 
of  the  littles  !  And  the  church  must  humble  her- 
self to  learn  more  of  the  power  of  the  littles,  before 
she  can  achieve  her  grand  triumph  ! 

5.  The  other  exercises  of  worship,  on  the  Lord's 
day,  fit  the  mind  for  the  duty  of  alms-doing,  and 
by  a  reflex  influence,  the  act  of  charity  fosters  the 
graces  of  the  heart. 

6.  The  plan  of  giving  "  on  every  first  day  of  the 
week,"  would  most  efi"ectually  tend  to  restore  the 
habit  of  giving  from  j^rinciple  and  not  from  ijiipulse. 
The  most  perennial  springs  are  the  least  liable  to 
floods.  The  heart  that  dictates  charity  from  stead- 
fast principle,  and  performs  it  as  a  regular  weekly 
religious  duty,  will  be  little  liable  to  be  betrayed, 
under  some  exciting  appeal,  into  those  impulsive 
and  extravagant  gifts,  which  may  be  followed  with 
regrets,  and  which,  like  the  torrent  in  the  desert, 
leave  the  channel  of  benevolence  torn  and  dry. 
But, 

7.  If  it  be  the  Bible  plan,  as  we  trust  has  been 
proven :  if  it  be  God's  plan,  and  if  beneficence  be 
indeed  part  of  every  Sabbath's  worship,  we  are 


92  THE   GOOD   STEWARD. 

bound  to  adopt  the  plan,  even  if  we  could  perceive 
none  of  its  peculiar  advantages.  If  it  is  a  divinely 
recommended  system,  God  will  bless  it,  and  will 
demonstrate  by  its  success,  that  after  all,  "the 
foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men!" 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  93 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Systematic  Beneficence  a  Means  of  Grace  and  Evangelization. 

The  Divine  Being  ordinarily  accomplishes  his 
purposes  by  means,  both  in  the  spiritual  and 
material  world :  and  our  ignorance  of  the  mode  of 
their  operation,  is  no  valid  objection  to  the  doctrine 
of  means.  It  were  folly  to  say,  "  I  do  not  know 
how  God  employs  gravitation  as  a  means  of  preserv- 
ing the  balance,  and  perpetuating  the  motions  of 
the  planetary  system,  and  therefore  I  will  not  be- 
lieve that  he  does  it."  And  it  were  equal  folly  to 
say,  "  I  do  not  know  how  spirit  influences  spirit 
through  means,  and  therefore  I  will  not  believe  it 
possible."  Our  ignorance  of  the  mode  in  which  the 
universal  Governor  works  by  means,  should  not 
shake  our  belief  in  the  fact :  whilst  if  we  can  to  any 
extent  understand  the  adaptedness  of  means  to 
their  end,  it  may  prove  an  additional  encourage- 
ment to  use  them. 

The  term  grace,  in  the  Scriptures,  generally 
denotes  favour  shown  to  the  undeserving.  But  as 
saving  favour  is  conferred  upon  men,  through  the 
efficacious  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  term  is 


94  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

sometimes  employed  to  denote  that  working ;  or  in 
other  words,  that  influence  exerted  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  upon  the  spirit  of  man,  whereby  he 
"  worketh  in  him  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
pleasure."  To  deny  that  such  an  influence  is 
exerted,  were  as  unphilosophical  as  infidel,  for 
such  denial  would  be  in  the  face  of  facts.  That 
spirit  does  influence  spirit  is  a  thing  of  which  we 
are  every  day  both  conscious  and  observant.  The 
effect  of  eloquence,  poetry,  or  song,  are  the  result 
of  mind  operating  upon  mind.  The  eloquence,  the 
poetry,  the  song,  is  but  a  means,  a  material  means ; 
mind-spirit  is  the  living  agent.  And  if  one 
created  spirit  may  thus  influence  another,  is  it  not 
absurd  to  deny,  that  the  uncreated  "  Father  of 
spirits"  can  influence  the  minds  which  he  has  made  ? 
Is  it  not  irrational  to  suppose  that  he  would  with- 
draw all  control  from  them  ? 

Now  in  both  senses  of  the  term  grace,  it  is  true 
that  the  belief  of  the  doctrines,  and  the  practice  of 
the  duties  of  Christian  beneficence  are  means  of  ^ 
grace. 

I.  The  faithful  excercise  of  stewardship  is  a 
means  through  which  the  favour  of  God  in  temporal 
things  is  conferred.  To  this  effect  the  language  of 
Divine  promise  is  explicit :  "  Honour  the  Lord  with 
thy  substance,  and  with  the  first  fruits  of  all  thine  in- 
crease ;  so  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with  plenty,  and 
thy  presses  shall  gush  forthwith  new  wine."  "He 
that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor  lendeth  unto  the  Lord, 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  95 

and    that  which  he    hath    given  will    he   pay  him 
again."   Prov.  iii.  9,  10  ;  and  xix.  17. 

To  the  church  and  nation  of  Israel  were  given 
ample  promises  of  temporal  blessing,  if  they  would 
prove  faithful  to  the  stewardship  committed  to 
them.  And  when  obedient,  they  realized  to  the 
full  these  promises.  See  Lev.  xxvi.  3-5 ;  Deut. 
xxviii.  1-15  ;  Ps.  xli.  1-3.  Peerless  prosperity  at- 
tended them,  when  they  kept  the  ordinances  of  God, 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  largely  consisted  in  offer- 
ings of  property  to  his  honour.  And  when  we  con- 
sider that  the  history  of  Israel  is  the  history  of  a 
divine  administration,  in  which  the  principles  of 
God's  government  are  illustrated,  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  world,  we  will  feel  bound  to  take  that 
history  as  written  for  our  warning  and  encourage- 
ment. One  subordinate  sense,  in  which  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  are  to  be  blessed  in  Abraham 
and  his  seed,  is  that  the  rich  and  varied  instruction 
furnished  by  the  history  of  God's  dealings  with  them 
will  prove  of  inestimable  value  to  the  nations.  And 
he  who  will  study  that  history,  will  be  surprised  to 
find  how  fully  our  doctrine  is  established  by  it.  It 
is  impossible  to  account  for  the  wonderful  facts 
presented  in  the  history  of  Judea,  without  admitting, 
that  there  is  a  degree  of  efficiency  in  the  principle 
we  are  advocating,  which  has  never  yet  been  ade- 
quately appreciated.  How  can  we  account  for  the 
fact  that  such  amazing  masses  of  population  as  oc- 
cupied Judea  in  the  palmy  days  of  Israel,  were  not 


9G  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

only  subsisted,  but  rolled  in  abundance :  whilst  in 
times  of  Israel's  religious  degeneracy,  their  pros- 
perity departed;  and  at  the  present  day  the  country 
■will  hardly  subsist  its  sparse  and  wretched  popula- 
tion.     We   can  only  account  for  the  facts,  by  ad- 
mitting, that  faithful  stewardship    is  a  means    of 
temporal  prosperity,  and  that  there  is  a  depth  of 
meaning    yet    unsounded,    in    the    declaration    of 
Jehovah  by  the  latest  of  her   prophets,  "Bring  ye 
all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse,  that  there  may 
be  meat  in  my  house,  and  prove  me  now  herewith, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open  you  the 
w^indows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing 
that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it. 
And  I  will  rebuke  the  devourer,  for  your  sakes,  and 
he  shall    not  destroy  the    fruits  of  your  ground  ; 
neither  shall   your  vine  cast  her  fruit  before  the 
time  in  the  field,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.     And  all 
nations  shall  call   you  blessed  ;  for  ye  shall  be  a 
delightsome  land,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  Mai.  iii. 
10-12.     L^nexampled  prosperity  was  bestowed  upon 
God's  people  whilst  obedient ;  whilst  a  curse  pro- 
portionately heavy  fell  upon  them,  when  unfaithful 
to  their  high  trust. 

Let  the  Christian  reader  rest  assured,  then,  that 
*' there  is  that  scattereth  and  yet  increaseth ;  and 
there  is  that  witlilioldeth  more  than  is  meet,  but  it 
tcndeth  to  poverty  !  The  liberal  soul  shall  be  made 
fat,  and  he  that  watereth  sball  be  watered  also  him- 
self."   Prov.   xi.  24,  25.      "The   liberal   deviseth 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  97 

liberal  things  ;  and  by  liberal  things  shall  he  stand." 
Isa.  xxxii.  8.  Let  him  remember  that  "  he  that 
giveth  unto  the  poor  shall  not  lack,  but  he  that 
hideth  his  eyes  shall  have  many  a  curse,"  Pro  v. 
xxviii.  27 ;  that  Jesus  hath  said,  "  there  is  no  man 
that  hath  left  house  *  *  *  or  lands  for  my  sake  and 
the  gospel's;  but  he  shall  receive  an  hundred  fold 
now  in  this  time,  houses  and  lands  with  persecu- 
tions;  and  in  the  world  to  come  eternal  life." 
Mark  X.  29,  30. 

With  such  passages  of  God's  word  before  them, 
it  is  amazing  that  Christian  men  hesitate  to  believe 
that  it  is  for  their  temporal  advantage  to  devise 
liberal  things.  The  most  profitable  investment, 
which  a  man  can  make,  of  a  portion  of  his  worldly 
estate,  is  to  lend  it  to  the  Lord,  for  the  comfort  of 
his  saints,  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel,  and  for  the 
support  of  the  poor,  and  the  salvation  of  the  perish- 
ing heathen.  In  the  passage  quoted  above  from 
Prov.  xix.  17,  the  Lord  condescends  to  say,  that  he 
will  consider  money  bestowed  in  beneficence  as  a 
loan  to  himself,  and  he  gives  his  promissory  note 
for  the  repayment.  And  he  is  the  best  security  in 
the  universe  !  Capitalists  are  always  ready  to  ma,ke 
a  profitable  investment;  and  are  eager  to  take 
stock  in  any  new  institution,  which  they  suppose  to 
be  safe  and  profitable  ;  and  for  this  they  are  willing 
to  take  reasonable  assurances  even  from  men :  but 
when  their  Maker  gives  them  the  assurance  that  a 
portion  of  their  funds  will  be  both  safe  and  profit- 
9 


98  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

able  in  his  hands,  and  pledges  himself  to  repay 
them  again,  they  hesitate,  demur,  and  sometimes 
not  only  refuse,  but  get  angry  with  the  agent  of 
God  who  would  negotiate  the  loan.  Like  the  first 
parents  of  our  race,  we  are  too  apt  to  distrust 
God's  method  of  promoting  our  temporal  welfare, 
and  rely  upon  our  own  :  and,  grasping  at  God's 
share,  lose  both  that  and  our  own.  Is  it  a  wonder 
that  he  often  makes  men  feel  their  dependence  upon 
him  for  all  their  capital,  and  for  their  power  to  get 
wealth,  by  permitting  disasters  to  befal  their  busi- 
ness ? 

Besides  being  a  means  of  procuring  temporal 
blessing,  we  ought  here  to  remark,  that  Christian 
beneficence  enables  those,  who  practise  it,  to  enjoy 
the  life  that  now  is.  There  is  a  positive  enjoyment 
in  doing  good.  The  exercise  of  the  benevolent  af- 
fections is  itself  delightful,  and  imparts  a  zest  to 
the  rational  pursuits  and  pleasures  of  life.  ''  Re- 
member the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  how  he  said, 
it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  Acts 
XX.  35. 

II.  Systematic  beneficence  is  a  means  of  spiritual 
grace. 

1.  It  is  repeatedly  called  a  grace  in  Scripture. 
The  Apostle  Paul,  in  his  second  letter  to  the  Corin- 
thians, stimulates  them  to  liberality  in  their  gifts 
by  the  example  of  the  Macedonians,  and  uses  this 
language,  "  Moreover,  brethren,  we  do  you  to  wit  of 
the  grace  of  God  bestowed  upon  the  churches  of 


THE    GOOD    STEWAKD.  99 

Macedonia ;  how  that,  in  a  great  trial  of  affliction, 
the  abundance  of  their  joj  and  their  deep  poverty 
abounded  unto  the  riches  of  their  liberality."  2 
Cor.  viii.  1-6.  He  calls  the  disposition  to  be  libe- 
ral, in  their  straitened  circumstances,  a  grace  be- 
stowed on  them  of  God  ;  both  because  it  was  a  fruit 
of  God's  Spirit  working  in  their  hearts,  (efficient 
grace,)  and  because  the  disposition  itself  was  a 
blessing  (a  favour)  and  a  means  of  their  spiritual 
advancement.  In  verse  seven,  he  uses  this  lan- 
guage, "  See  that  ye  abound  in  this  grace  also,"  in 
which  he  ranks  the  grace  of  liberality  with  those 
of  faith,  utterance,  knowledge,  and  love.  In  verse 
eight,  he  points  out  one  of  the  advantages  of  this 
grace,  viz.,  that  it  "proves  the  sincerity  of  our 
love ;"  and  in  verse  nine,  he  mentions  the  grace  of 
Christ,  as  at  once  the  foundation  and  the  motive 
of  the  grace  of  liberality  in  Christians.  "  For  ye 
know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became 
poor,  that  ye,  through  his  poverty  might  be 
rich." 

In  2  Cor.  ix.  14,  Christian  beneficence  is  spoken 
of  as  "  the  exceeding  grace  of  God  in  you."  Peter 
likewise,  in  exhorting  believers  to  practise  hospi- 
tality, says,  "  As  every  man  hath  received  the  gift, 
(favour  or  endowment,)  even  so  minister  the  same 
one  to  another,  as  good  stewards  of  the  manifold 
grace  of  God,"  in  which  he  teaches  that  the  dispo- 
sition to  minister  to  the  comfort  of  others  is  a  grace 


too  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

of  God.  Proofs  might  be  multiplied,  but  it  is 
needless. 

2.  A  disposition  and  ability  to  be  actively  be- 
nevolent, are  favours  bestowed  by  God ;  and  bene- 
ficence itself  is  the  means  of  procuring  and  foster- 
ing other  graces.  Even  if  we  could  discover  in  the 
exercises  of  charity  no  adaptedness  to  produce  such 
results,  we  are  obliged  to  believe,  on  the  authority 
of  God's  word,  that  they  will  promote  the  spiritual 
good  of  those  who  practise  them.  But,  if  we  mis- 
take not,  there  is  an  obvious  beauty  and  fitness  in 
the  mode  of  operation  of  this  grace. 

"  Ye  have  the  poor  with  you  alwa^^s,  and  when- 
soever ye  will  ye  may  do  them  good,"  said  our 
Lord  to  his  disciples.  And  the  fact  here  stated  is 
probably  one  that  is  to  continue  so  long  as  the 
church  is  in  her  militant  state.  It  becomes  a  ques- 
tion of  intense  interest,  "  Why  has  God  so  consti- 
tuted human  society  ?  Why  does  he  put  down  one 
and  raise  another  up  ?"  Why  does  he,  in  his  provi- 
dence, leave  some  destitute  of  this  world's  goods, 
whilst  others  have  all  that  heart  can  wish  ?  Why 
do  some  dwell  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death, 
whilst  others  bask  beneath  the  full  splendours  of 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness  ?  Why  not  make  all 
men  equal,  in  point  of  worldly  goods,  and  civil 
liberty,  and  religious  privileges?  Doubtless  one 
object  of  this  mysterious  arrangement  is,  to  afford 
opportunity  for  the  exercise  and  culture  of  the 
benevolent  affections  of   our    nature.     If   all  were 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  101 

equal,  in  point  of  worldly  condition  and  spiritual 
privilege,  there  would  be  no  place  for  ^'communica- 
tion," no  room  for  the  exercise  of  those  kind  offices 
which  call  forth  the  nobler  feelings  of  humanity. 
The  economy  of  the  divine  Being,  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  comforts  which  are  needful  to  the  body 
and  the  soul,  resembles  that  which  he  has  adapted 
to  the  distribution  of  that  element,  so  necessary  to 
life,  which  teems  from  the  clouds,  and  rolls  in  the 
ocean.  If  the  earth  were  a  dead  level,  circulation 
would  stop,  universal  stagnation  and  pestilence  and 
death  would  ensue.  The  water  is  not  equally  dis- 
tributed, and  yet  by  circulation  its  end  is  better 
promoted,  than  if  it  were.  The  ocean,  the  lake, 
the  river,  are  rich  in  watery  stores,  but  they  are 
not  penurious.  The  ocean's  mighty  bosom,  warmed 
by  the  genial  rays  of  the  sun,  gives  liberally  of  his 
treasure  to  the  clouds.  The  lakes  and  seas  and 
rivers  add  their  bounty.  The  clouds  shower  down 
the  charity,  of  which  they  are  the  bearers,  upon  the 
thirsty  plain,  and  mountain,  and  valley,  reviving 
and  cheering  the  bosom  of  nature.  But  are  the 
ocean,  the  sea,  the  lake,  the  mighty  river,  impover- 
ished by  their  continual  giving?  Far  from  it. 
The  earth,  grateful  for  the  favour  it  has  received, 
pours  back  the  water,  purified,  and  laden  with  that 
which  will  bless  the  inhabitants  of  the  waters,  into 
the  purling  rivulets.  The  rivulets  pay  their  con- 
tributions to  the  larger  streams  and  mighty  rivers, 
and  they  hasten  to  pour  their  majestic  waters  into 
9  - 


102  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

the  lake,  the  sea,  or  the  ocean,  assured  that  giv- 
ing doth  not  impoverish.  It  is  thus  in  the  economy 
of  Christian  beneficence.  The  Creator  requires 
those  to  whom  he  has  given  abundance,  to  fut  it  in 
circulation;  assuring  them  that  it  will  return  to 
them  again,  if  given  from  proper  motives.  The 
pious  bosom,  warmed  by  the  genial  beams  of  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness,  sends  forth  the  kindly  exha- 
lations of  Christian  charity.  They  descend  in  re- 
freshing showers  upon  the  poor  and  distressed,  the 
ignorant,  the  guilty,  and  the  lost.  They  are 
blessed,  comforted,  converted,  it  may  be,  unto 
God.  Their  prayers  ascend  for  their  benefactor, 
while  the  alms  of  the  benefactor  themselves  "come 
up  for  a  remembrance  before  God."  The  streams 
of  Divine  favour  begin  to  flow  back  to  him,  they 
enlarge,  grow  deeper  and  wider,  and  pour  bless- 
ings upon  him  in  this  life :    yea,  they  roll  on, 

*'  Until  he  bathes  his  gladdened  soul 
In  seas  of  heavenly  rest." 

3.  Christian  beneficence  is  the  means  by  which 
the  God  of  grace  developes,  in  the  believer's  soul, 
the  principles  of  the  new  life,  and  produces  in  his 
heart  and  conduct  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  The 
healthy  development  of  the  powers  of  the  soul,  like 
that  of  the  body,  depends  upon  right  exercise.  The 
child,  that  is  reared  in  total  inactivity,  will  grow 
imbecile  and  sickly.  The  mind  whose  powers  are 
not  called  into  exercise,  will  remain  weak,  and  will 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  103 

most  likely  become  morbid.  And  it  would  be  con- 
trary to  the  analogy  of  the  Divine  operations,  to 
expect  that  the  new  spiritual  life,  begun  in  the  soul 
by  regeneration,  can  be  carried  forward,  in  a 
healthy  and  proportionate  expansion,  without  the 
proper  exercise  of  its  various  functions.  The  babe 
in  Christ  can  never  "  come  unto  a  perfect  man, 
unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ"  without  the  due  exercise  of  his  renovated 
powers. 

Now  all  these  powers  are  called  into  healthful 
and  invigorating  play,  in  the  faithful  discharge  of 
the  duties  of  a  Christian  stewardship.  Its  aim  is 
the  glory  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  a  world !  Its 
principles  are  based  upon  sovereign  and  immutable 
justice  I  Its  motive  is  supreme  love  to  God,  and 
equal  love  to  our  neighbour,  love  kindled  at  love's 
own  fountain,  love  lighted  at  the  cross  !  Its  rule 
is  the  will  of  the  Holy  One  !  Its  ^'  fruits,  love,  joy, 
peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance !"  Its  duties  require  the 
exercise  of  ''  the  same  mind  that  was  also  in  Christ 
Jesus,"  and  call  to  the  imitation  of  his  perfect  ex- 
ample. Like  him,  the  good  steward  must  practise 
self-denial,  and  be  willing  to  give  his  substance, 
and  himself,  if  need  be,  for  the  good  of  others.  Like 
him  he  must  be  humble,  compassionate,  forgiving, 
and  disposed  to  suffer  even  for  enemies.  Like  him 
he  must  esteem  it  his  "  meat  to  do  his  Father's 
will  and  finish  his  work."      And  is  it  not  obvious, 


104  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 

that  the  practice  of  Christian  beneficence  thus 
cultivates  the  very  temper  of  Heaven,  and  is  the 
very  process  by  which  the  soul  is  fitted  for  that 
blessed  abode  ? 

4.  Christian  liberality  is  a  means  by  which 
"  they  that  are  Christ's,  crucify  the  flesh  with  the 
affections  and  lusts."  Covetousness,  as  it  was  an 
element  of  the  first  sin  of  the  human  mind,  so  is  it 
still  one  of  the  most  deceitful  and  dangerous. 
From  the  hour  in  which  it  first  seized  upon  the 
heart  in  Paradise,  on  through  the  whole  of  man's 
sad  history,  it  has  been  an  ever-living,  ever-gnaw- 
ing worm,  that  has  eaten  at  the  vitals  of  his  peace. 
"  Covetousness  is  idolatry."  Col.  iii.  5.  "The 
covetous  man  is  an  idolater,"  Eph.  v.  5,  because  he 
turns  from  the  Creator,  and  seeks  in  created  things 
that  protection,  that  portion,  that  pleasure,  which 
can  be  found  only  in  God.  The  man,  who  loves 
and  trusts  in  riches  or  any  created  good,  more  than 
in  the  uncreated  Fountain  of  fulness,  makes  a  god 
of  the  creature,  attributes  to  it  divine  power,  reposes 
in  it  that  confidence  which  should  only  be  placed  in 
God,  or  at  least  it  esteems  the  maker  less  than  the 
thing  made.  Covetousness  took  possession  of  our 
first  parents'  hearts  when  they  turned  from  God  to 
the  creature,  preferred  the  forbidden  fruit  to  his 
favour,  and  trusted  in  a  devil's  lure,  rather  than 
in  a  Divine  promise.  It  is,  therefore,  the  sin 
which  most  obstinately  retains  the  heart  as  an  idol's 
temple,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  true  God,  who  should 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  1U5 

be  there  enthroned.  Hence  It  is  peculiarly  God- 
dishonouring,  dangerous,  and  damning. 

Covetousness  is  the  prolific  parent  of  all  our  sins. 
As  idolatry,  it  is  a  violation  of  the  first  three  pre- 
cepts of  the  decalogue ;  as  unlawful  desire  it  leads 
to  the  breach  of  all  the  other  six  ;  and,  therefore, 
the  closing  precept  of  that  wonderful  law  strikes  at 
the  root  of  all  evil,  by  the  injunction,  "  Thou  shalt 
not  covet."  And  Christ  said  to  his  disciples,  '"'Take 
heed  and  beware  of  covetousness."  Luke  xii.  15. 
Well  did  the  Apostle  [1  Tim.  vi.  10]  declare,  "  The 
love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  these  evils,  which 
while  some  coveted  after,  they  have  erred  from  the 
faith,  and  pierced  themselves  through  with  many 
sorrows.  But  thou,  0  man  of  God,  flee  these 
things."    ■ 

It  is  the  tendency  of  covetousness,  perhaps  more 
than  of  any  other  sin,  to  strengthen  its  sway  over  the 
heart,  and  wax  worse  and  worse.  Other  desires 
of  the  flesh  may  fail,  with  the  natural  decline  of 
our  powers ;  but  this,  unless  eradicated,  grows  with 
our  years  and  becomes  more  intense  by  repeated  in- 
dulgence. Such  is  the  testimony  of  universal  ex- 
perience, and  such  is  the  teaching  of  him  who 
made  man,  and  "  knoweth  what  is  in  man."  Of 
the  avaricious  man  he  saith,  "  there  is  no  end  of  all 
his  labour,  neither  is  his  eye  satisfied  with  riches — 
he  that  loveth  silver  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  silver, 
nor  he  that  loveth  abundance  with  increase.  The 
abundance  of  the  rich  will  not  suff'er  him  to  sleep." 


106  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

Ecc.  "  Hell  and  destruction  are  not  full,  so  the 
eyes  of  man  are  never  satisfied."  Prov.  xxvii.  20. 
If,  then,  covetousness  be  a  sin  so  heinous  in  God's 
sight,  a  sin  that  tends  so  completely  to  banish  God 
from  the  heart ;  if  it  be  the  root  of  many  other 
evils  ;  if  its  native  tendency  is  to  strengthen  as  men 
advance  in  life,  it  is  a  most  "  deceitful  lust,"  a  most 
dangerous  foe  to  grace ;  and  the  means  that  will 
tend  to  crucify  this  lust,  to  eradicate  this  root  of 
bitterness,  to  make  this  Dagon  fall  down  before  the 
ark  of  God,  ought  surely  to  be  hailed  with  joy  by 
every  professed  believer,  and  diligently  used  as  a 
means  of  salvation.  And  what  can  prove  a  more 
efficacious  means  of  accomplishing  this,  than  the 
belief  of  the  doctrines  and  the  practice  of  the 
duties  of  Christian  stewardship.  The  faithful 
steward  of  Christ  believes  God's  word.  He  believes 
that  God  is  the  creator  and  sovereign  of  all  things, 
and  that  they  should  be  employed  for  his  glory.  He 
believes  that  Christ  hath  redeemed  sinners,  and  that 
the  redeemed  are  not  their  own,  and  are  therefore 
bound  to  glorify  God  with  their  bodies  and  spirits 
which  are  God's.  He  goes  to  the  cross,  and  there 
"the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  him"  to  live  to 
Christ.  And  thus  sweetly  constrained  by  "  bonds 
of  love,"  he  presents  himself  and  all  his  resources 
a  cheerful  sacrifice  to  God.  Feeling  that  he  owes 
all  to  Christ,  he  surrenders  all  to  him,  and  resolves, 
as  a  faithful  servant,  to  "  occupy  till  his  Lord  come." 
And  he    is  "  not    slothful    in  business,    fervent  in 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  107 

spirit,  serving  the  Lord."  If  in  secular  employment, 
the  love  of  Christ  warms  his  heart  and  nerves  his 
arm.  By  honourable  industry  he  aims  to  acquire 
property,  not  that  he  may  hoard  it,  or  consume  it 
upon  his  lusts,  but  that  he  may  have  wherewith  to 
honour  the  Lord.  God  and  not  gold  is  his  chief 
end.  And  like  his  Divine  Master  he  can,  in  some 
measure,  affirm,  "  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him 
that  sei^t  me  !" 

Even  then,  in  desiring  wealth,  the  good  steward's 
love  is  not  bestowed  upon  money,  but  upon  the  God 
in  whose  service  he  wishes  to  employ  it.  His  life 
is  that  of  an  affectionate  child  labouring  for  a  good 
father.  His  toil  is  sweetened  by  the  anticipation 
of  the  good  which  he  aims  to  accomplish.  Piety  is 
carried  into  business  ;  business  becomes  a  part  of 
piety.  "  He  uses  this  world  as  not  abusing  it."  Now 
is  it  not  manifest,  that  such  principles  and  such  a 
practice  tend  directly  to  put  to  death  the  sin  of 
covetousness.  They  take  away  its  very  food  ;  before 
money  can  become  an  idol,  it  is  offered  in  spiritual 
sacrifice  to  the  true  God.  Every  act  of  heart-born 
charity  drives  a  nail  in  the  very  vitals  of  this  lust, 
and  fastens  it  more  firmly  to  its  cross.  And  as  the 
practice  of  systematic  beneficence  grows  into  a 
habit,  "  the  old  man,  which  is  corrupt,  after  the  de- 
ceitful lusts,  is  put  off,"  the  good  steward  is  "re- 
newed in  the  spirit  of  his  mind,  and  puts  on  the 
new  man,"  which  after  God  is  created  in  righteous- 
ness   and    true   holiness."       Under    the   renewing 


108  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

power  of  the  divine  Spirit,  such  is  the  legitimate 
tendency  of  Christian  charity. 

And  as  of  covetousness,  so  of  all  the  brood  of 
"  deceitful  lusts"  of  which  it  is  the  parent;  they 
are  banished  from  the  heart  and  life  of  the  believer, 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  the  counteracting  in- 
strumentality of  the  grace  of  beneficence. 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  109 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Oblation  a  Means  of  Grace — Illustrated  from  the  Mosaic 
Economy. 

And  the  foregoing  view  of  the  subject  receives 
much  illustration  and  force,  from  an  inspection  of 
the  design  and  tendencies  of  the  Mosaic  system 
of  oiferings ;  as  would  appear  had  we  space  for 
such  inspection.  A  point  or  two  is  all  we  can 
suggest. 

One  great  object  of  the  Jewish  ceremonial,  was 
so  to  employ  the  people  of  Israel,  in  duties  of  re- 
ligion, as  to  restrain  them  from  idolatry.  It  aimed 
to  accomplish  this  object  by  giving  them  full  reli- 
gious occupation,  by  the  burdensome  ritual,  which 
demanded  so  much  of  their  time  and  substance,  as 
to  leave  them  little  or  no  opportunity  for  them  to 
go  after  the  gods  of  the  other  nations.  It  also  re- 
quired them  to  sacrifice  many  of  those  things  which 
the  Gentiles  worshipped  as  gods.  In  Egypt,  Avhere 
Israel  had  been  in  bondage,  and  in  other  neighbour- 
ing nations,  cattle  and  other  animals  were  worship- 
ped ;  also,  gods  of  silver  and  gold.  Israel  was 
commanded  to  sacrifice  to  the  true  God  cattle  and 
in 


110  THE    GOOD    STEWAKD. 

sheep  and  goats  and  certain  birds  ;  and  to  offer 
gold  and  silver  and  other  property  to  the  service 
of  religion  and  the  support  of  the  poor.  Now 
since  "  covetousness" — the  love-of  property  for  its 
own  sake  or  for  selfish  ends — "  is  idolatry ;"  since  it 
was  the  first  form  of  idolatry  in  Paradise,  and  is  the 
world-pervading  form  of  that  sin,  we  cannot  doubt 
that  one  object  of  the  very  expensive  system  of 
offerings,  which  was  imposed  upon  Israel,  was  to 
constrain  them  to  offer  to  the  true  God,  what  they 
were  so  much  in  danger  of  idolizing.  We  are  far 
from  saying  that  this  was  the  chief  design  of  that 
economy  ;  but  this  was  one  design,  and  we  can  see 
an  admirable  adaptedness  of  the  means  to  the  end. 
The  habit  of  offering  property  to  the  service  of  the 
true  God,  was  well  calculated  to  prevent  them  from 
making  an  idol  of  it.  Nor  should  we  fail,  in  this 
connection,  to  note  the  sad  yet  striking  fact,  that 
the  apostasy  of  Israel,  in  the  days  of  Malachi,  was 
occasioned  by  a  covetous  attempt  to  defeat  the  end 
of  this  system.  "  They  robbed  God  in  tithes  and 
offerings,  and  were  cursed  with  a  curse."  Mai.  iii.  8. 
And  alas  !  in  their  long  rejection,  they  continue  to 
be  perhaps  the  most  covetous  race  on  earth.  Let 
the  Christian  church  be  warned  by  the  awful  doom 
of  Israel  to  "  take  heed  and  beware  of  covetousness, 
which  is  idolatry." 

Christian  beneficence  is  a  means  of  grace  whereby 
"the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the 
pride  of  life"  may  be  mortified. 


THE   GOOD    STEWARD.  Ill 

5.  It  is  a  means  of  laying  up  treasure  in  heaven. 
Upon  this  we  need  not  enlarge.  The  Bible  is  ex- 
plicit. "  Your  Father  who  seeth  in  secret  shall  re- 
ward you  openly."  "  Sell  that  ye  have  and  give 
alms:  provide  yourselves  bags  which  wax  not  old, 
a  treasure  in  the  heavens  that  faileth  not."  "  Sell 
all  that  thou  hast  and  distribute  to  the  poor,  and 
thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven." 

6.  Christian  beneficence  is  not  only  one  of  the  graces 
Tiy  which  we  are  to  obtain  evidence  of  our  union  to 
Christ,  and  of  our  personal  justification,  but  it  will 
be  mentioned  on  the  judgment  day,  as  the  evidence 
of  our  justification !  See  Matt.  xxv.  31-46.  We 
say  it  will  then  be  appealed  to,  not  as  the  merito- 
rious ground,  but  as  the  evidence  of  our  union  to 
Christ  and  our  justification  by  faith  in  him.  "  Come 
unto  me,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the 
kingdom,  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world  !"  Why  ?  "  For  I  was  an  hungered,  and 
ye  gave  me  meat."  Surprised  at  this,  the  right- 
eous ask,  "  When  saw  we  thee  an  hungered  and  fed 
thee  ?  or  thirsty  and  gave  thee  drink  ?"  "  And 
the  King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them,  Verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 
one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done 
it  unto  me !"  Compassionate  Lord !  Wondrous 
condescension  !  To  identify  thyself  with  the  hum- 
blest of  thy  poor,  yet  ransomed  ones  !  To  take 
them  into  such  close  union  with  thy  glorious  self, 
as  to  consider  kindness  shown  to  them  as  kindness 


112  THE    GOOD    STEWARD. 

shown  to  thyself;  and  neglect  of  them  as  neglect 
of  thee  ! 

And  ah  !  how  terribly  will  the  avaricious  be  made 
to  feel,  upon  that  awful  day,  the  folly  and  crimi- 
nality of  their  covetousness  :  "  Depart,  ye  cursed  !" 
Why?  "Because  ye  had  no  pai-t  in  me,  as  was 
proved  by  the  fact  that  '  I  was  an  hungred  and  ye 
gave  me  no  meat,  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me  no 
drink,  I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  not  in, 
naked  and  ye  clothed  me  not,  sick  and  in  prison 
and  ye  visited  me  not.'  "  "  Then  shall  they  an- 
swer him  saying.  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  an  hun- 
gered or  athirst,  or  a  stranger  or  naked  or  sick  or 
in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee  ?  Then 
shall  he  answer  them  saying.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go 
away  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous 
into  life  eternal." 

7.  Lastly :  systematic  beneficence  is  an  essential 
means  of  evangelization.  This  needs  no  proof,  ex- 
cept a  reference  to  the  Bible,  and  to  our  previous 
discussion.  "  How  shall  they  call  upon  him,  in 
whom  they  have  not  believed  ?  and  how  shall  they 
believe  in  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard?  and 
how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?  and  how 
shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent?"  Rom. 
X.  14.  And  how  shall  they  be  sent  without 
the  pecuniary  means  ?  "  For  no  man  goeth  a 
warfare  at  his  own  charges."      But  having  estab- 


THE    GOOD    STEWARD.  113 

lished  the  position,  that  the  faithful  stewardship 
of  God's  people  constituted  the  instrumentality 
by  which  the  gospel  was  to  be  spread  abroad,  we 
deem  it  unnecessary  to  enlarge  farther  upon  this 
topic. 
10  * 


114  THE   GOOD    STEWARD. 


CONCLUDING  APPEAL. 

Have  we  succeeded,  dear  reader,  in  producing 
in  your  mind  the  conviction  that  the  views  embo- 
died in  this  treatise  are  true  ?  Have  we  proven 
that  Christian  stewardship  as  systematic  beneficence 
is  an  essential  element  of  Christianity  ?  That  its 
principles  belong  to  the  faitli^  its  duties  to  the 
practice,  of  the  true  Christian  ?  That  it  is  part  of 
religious  worship  ?  That  it  is  an  important  means 
of  grace  and  evangelization?  Are  you  convinced 
that  it  is  the  element  of  our  holy  religion,  upon 
which,  in  a  large  measure,  depend  the  sanctification 
of  God's  children,  the  propagation  of  the  gospel, 
the  triumph  of  the  church,  and  the  manifestation 
of  the  glory  of  God? 

We  have  drawn  all  our  proofs  from  holy  Scrip- 
ture and  authentic  history.  It  has  been  our  aim  to 
let  God's  own  word  plead  his  own  cause  upon  these 
pages.  Are  you  convinced  that  these  positions  are 
true?  Then  have  you  no  more  right  to  neglect 
gospel  beneficence,  than  you  have  to  neglect  praise, 
prayer,  preaching,  the  Sabbath,  the  sacraments  or 
any  other  duty  of  religion.  You  are  under  solemn 
obligations  to  adopt  yourself,  and  to  promote  in 


THE   GOOD   STEWARD.  115 

the  ,churcli,  the  scriptural  principles  and  the  scrip- 
tural plan  of  beneficence,  and  to  do  your  share^ 
■whatever  that  may  be,  to  secure  "  Glory  to  God  in 
the    highest,    on   earth    peace,    good   will    toward 


men  i 

Reader,  may  God  give  you  grace  to  be  a  faith- 
ful and  good  steward  of  all  that  has  been  entrusted 
to  you:  and  at  last,  when  our  Lord  shall  come  to 
reckon  with  his  servants,  may  you  receive  the 
cheering  plaudit,  "Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant,  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things, 
I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things,  Enter 

THOU  into  the  joy  OF  THY  LoRD  !" 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS. 


Ability,  The  measure  of  giving, 
Abel's  offering,  . 
Abraham's  offering,    . 
AcHAN-Sin  of     .        .        . 
Advantages  of  Scripture  system 
Ananias  and  Sapphira,  Sin  of 
Analogy  of  faitb.  Important 
Anniversaries  a  snare, 
Assimilating  tendency  of   the 

Gospel. 
Appeal,  Concluding  . 
Beneficence,  Systematic 

An  essential  element  of  Chris- 
tianity, 
Apart  of  practical  piety, 
An  imitation  of  Christ,  . 
Apart  of  public  worship, 
"    "    private  and  family 
"worship,       .     .    .        , 
Its  motive,  love,     . 
Must  be  cheerful,    . 
"       "  constant,  . 
"      "  diligent,    . 
"      "  proportionate  to  abiL 

ity. .        .        . 
"      "  unostentatious, 
Means  of  crucifying  flesh, 
"        developing  the  graces 
"      of  temporal  benefits, 
"      of  grace, 
"      of  evangelization, 
"      of  laying  up  treasures 

in  heaven, 

"      of  temporal  enjoyment 

Will  be    mentioned    at    the 

judgment, 

Body  of  Christ  anointed,    . 

Calvin  on  Acts  ii.  42, 

Call,  Every  man  should  have  a 

'  How  ascertained,     . 

Ceremonial  system  rational 

Charity  called  religion. 

Must  begin  at  home. 

Charter  of  the  church,     . 

Christianity  a  system, 

Contains  the  elements  of  pro- 
sperity and  extension, 
Not  a  dead  organism,      . 
Church,  same  under  both  dis- 
pensations. . 
Communication  part  of  worship 

A  New  Testament  sacrifice 
Community  of  goods  inexpedient 


PAGE 

PAGE 

46 

Covenant  of  grace  a  sovereign 

51 

act,       .... 

30 

52 

Of  works  what  tested  in, 

27 

79 

Covetousness  the  first  sin, 

28 

90 

Is  idolatry,       . 

104 

79 

Is  dangerous  and  heinous. 

105 

12 

The  antidote  to,      . 

.       106 

49 

Deacons,  .        .        .        .       5f 

74  77 

Deed  of  trust,  God's  word  a 

25 

17 

Dispensation  explained,    . 

60 

114 

Change  of.  What  meant  by 
Dissemination  an  essential  o 

.        60 

religion. 

15 

16  17 

Economy  explained,   . 

60 

14 

Eden,  Economy  of 

27 

103 

Election,  how  made  sure. 

21 

63 

Essential    and    non-essential 

Man  not  the  judge  of 

12 

85 

Evangelization    the    church' 

37  41 

work,    .... 

16 

47 

Fear  as  a  motive. 

39 

47 

First-day  collections  of  Apos 

44 

tolic  order,  .         .         . 

80 

To  be  perpetual,      . 

82 

46 

Forfeiture  of  rights  by  the  fal 

1        30 

47 

Foundation  of  moral  obligatioc 

26 

104 

Of  stewardship, 

27 

102 

Fruit  of  a  system,  its  seed, 

15 

94 

Fruits  of  the  spirit,  . 

21 

93  98 

Giving  a  grace,  .        .        .25 

99  100 

112 

A  part  of  worship,          .       2^ 

51  71 

Doth  not  impoverish,     . 

102 

111 

Glory  defined,    . 

37 

98 

Government  a  divine  ordinance 

>        35 

Grace.  Definition  of  . 

93 

111 

Oblation  a         .         .         . 

99  100 

69 

Oblation  a  means  of 

93  98 

74 

Hebrews  xiii.  16  explained, 

73 

43 

Homb-be-neficence,  Benefit  of 

88 

44 

Inequality  of  wealth.  Design  o 

f      100 

Investments,  The  best 

97 

85 

Investiture  of  Noah, 

31 

88 

Israel's  history  illustrative, 

95 

52 

Jacob's  vow, 

52 

9 

Judas,  Sin  of      .        .        . 

67  68 

Kingdom  of  heaven  defined. 

17 

15 

Law. Every  one  of  God's  binding 

11 

till  repealed, 

59 

Leaven,  parable  of  explained. 

17 

57 

Litti.es.  The  power  of 

91 

70 

Lord  paramount,  God  the 

27 

73 

Lord's    prayer    teaches  benefi 

78  79 

cence,  .... 

22 

117 


118 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Love  the  motive  to  duty,  . 
Mary's  box  of  ointment,   . 
Means,  Doctrine  of    . 
Mosaic  economy.  Design  of 

Antidote  to  idolatry 

Its  morality  still  obligatory 

Illustrations  from  . 
Motives.  Doctrine  of . 
Mustard  seed.  Lessons  of . 
Noah's  offering, . 
Oblation  an  expression  of  piety 

Duty  of  not  abolished,  . 

In  the  first  family, 

Inseparable  from  the  ancient 
worship. 

Means    of   grace    illustrated 
from  Mosaic  economy. 

The  first  act  of  N.  Testamen 

worship 

Obligation,  Moral  grounds  of 

Not  relaxed  by  the  gospel. 

Perpetual, 
"  Occupy  till  I  come,"  explained 
Old  Testament  dispensation,  in 

what  sense  abolished, 
Ostentation  to  be  avoided, 
Pentecost,  Lessons  of . 
Plan    of    beneficence,    Scrip 
ture,     .... 

Advantages  of 

Permanent,     .        .        .        . 

Ordained     by    apostolic    au- 
thority, 
Preaching,  Defective . 
Property,  Basis  of     . 

Duty  to  acquire. 

Power  to  gain  is  of  God, 

To  be  used  for  God's  glory, 
Beligion,  Spirit  of  immutable 

James'  definition  of 
*'  Betiring  from  business,"  is  it 

right?  .... 

Bitual  Law  a  system  of  benefi 

cence,  .... 

Quoted  as  such  by  Paul, 

Its  spirit  perpetual, 
Sabbaih  collections  ordained, 

Best  day  for  beneficence, 

Lessons  of  " 

Sacrifices,  their  language. 

New  Testament, 
Seed  of  a  system,  its  fruit. 
Secrecy  in  giving  not  obligatory 
Self-gratulation  to  be  avoided 
Sovereignty  of  God  basis  of  ob- 
ligation,      .        .        .        . 

In  the  covenant  of  works,     . 

In  the  covenant  of  grace, 


PAGE 

33  41 

68 

93 

109 

110 

58 

109 

33  39 

15  18 

52 

55 

59 

51 

57 


26  31 
34 


58 
42 
70 

50  51 
90 
82 


Sovereignty  of  God   basis  of 

obligation,    .        .        -        . 

In  Noachic,  Abrahamic,  and 

Mosaic  covenants. 
In  the  system  of  offerings. 
In  the  gospel. 
Spirit  of    God,  author  of  life 
light,  and  order. 
His  energy  essential  to  Chris- 
tianity, 
Steward,  an  ancient  office; 
Definition  of    . 
Every  man  a    . 
The  good  described. 
Stewardship,  Theory  of    , 
Much  neglected. 
Fruit  and  seed  of  Christianity 
Of  the  church  changed. 
Foundation  of 
A  condition  of  innocence, 
How  affected  by  the  fall, 
Sin  to  fail  in    . 
Motives  and  end  of 
Is  an  antidote  to   covetous- 

ness 

Besults  of,  to  the  faithful, 
Bule  of    . 
Taught  in  Eden,     . 
Stewardship,  doctrine  of  proved 
by  Old  Testament  prophe- 
cies. 

The  first  act  of  New  Testa- 
ment worship,  . 
The  examples  of  Christ, 
The  precepts  of  Christ,  . 
The  teaching  of  apostles. 
The  testimony  of  the  Fathers 
Synagogue,    Oblation    part   of 
worship  of  . 
Worship  the  model  of  Chris- 
tian worship, 
Tabernacle,  111  ustration  from 
Talents,  Parable  of  explained, 
Tithes,        .... 
Titles  to  property.  Origin  of 
Testimony  of  the  fathers,       66 
Unfaithfulness  in  stewardship 
the  first  sin, 
The  sin  of  Judas,  . 
Water.  Illustration  from 
Witness  of  the  Spirit, 
Worship  defined. 

Partly  consists  in  oblation. 
Material  media  necessary  in 
Spirit  of,  ever  the  same. 
Of  the  apostolic  church,  de- 
scribed,       .... 


31 

32 
32 

10 

11 

24 
24 
26 
106 
24 
16 
16 


26  30 

34 

37  41 

106 
94 


25 


66 

65 

66  68 


56 

74 
12 
44 

38  53 
34 

75  76 


101 
20 
54 
22  57 
54 
57 


70 


TEXTS  OF  SCRIPTURE, 


QUOTED  AND  ILLUSTRATED    IN  THE  PRECEDING  TREATISE. 


Gen.  i.  26,    . 

»     ii.  8-17, 

"    iv.  3,   . 

"    vii.  20, 

"    viii.  20, 

"     ix.  1-17, 

«     xii.  .3.  . 

"    xiv.  20, 

"     xxii.,  . 

'<     xxii.  18, 

"    xxvi.  4, 

"     xxviii.  22, 
Exod  XX.  2, 

"     xxiii.1.5, 

"     xxxiv.  -20, 
liGV.  xix.  9, 10, 

"     xxiii    22,     . 

"     xxvii.  30-32, 
Deut.  viii.  17,18, 

'•     X.  14,  . 

"     XV.  7.  8, 

"     xvi.  10, 

"     xvi.*16, 
1  Sam.  ii.  7. 
Jobxxix.  V2,  13, 
Pi^.  xxiv.  1, 

"     Ixxv.  7, 

"  clxi.  2, 
Prov.  iii.  9,        19 

•'     ix.  2,    . 

"     xi.  24,  2.5, 

"     xvi.  4, 

"     xix.  17, 

"     xxviii.  27 

"     xxvii.  20, 
Eecl.  iv.  8,   . 
V.  10,  12, 
XXX.  21, 

"     xxxij.  8, 

"     xlii.  1, 

"  Ix.,  . 
Jer.  vi.  16,  . 
Dmii.  iv.  35,  . 
lUs.  ii.  8,  . 
Zech.  xiv.  14, 
Mai.  i.  11,     . 


I.sa. 


PAGE 

PAGE 

34 

Mai.  iii.  10-12, 

96 

Rom.  xii.  11, 

27 

Matt.  iii.  18, 

70 

"     xiv.  7-9. 

51 

"     V.  4,     . 

111 

"     XV.  26, 

62 

«     V.  16,  . 

48 

1  Cor.  iii.  8, 

52 

"     vi   1,  2, 

42 

"     iv.  1,    . 

.  31  34 

"    vi.  3,    . 

47  57 

"     vi.  19,  20, 

.  31  52 

"    vi.  1-18, 

66 

"  .  ix.  9-14, 

52 

"     vii.  12, 

19 

«     X.  31,  . 

31 

«     ix.  38, 

19 

"    xiv.  4, 

53 

«     X.  40,  42. 

87 

"     xiii.  3, 

53 

"    xiii.  31-33, 

17 

"     xvi.  2, 

52 

"     xvi.  24, 

21 

"     xvi.  1,  2, 

31 

"     xix.  19. 

19 

2  Cor.  V.  14, 

55 

"     XXV.  15, 

46 

"     viii.  9, 

56 

"     XXV.  14-30, 

25 

"     viii.  12, 

32 

'•     XXV.  31-46, 

111 

"     viii  4, 

32 

Mark  iv.  31,  32, 

17 

"     viii.  1-6, 

2,        53 

"     X.29,  30, 

97 

«     ix.  2-13,  3 

38 

«     xiv.  1-9, 

68  69 

"     ix.  14, 

28 

"     xvi.  15, 

19 

Gal.    V.  6,     . 

56 

Luke  X.  2,    . 

19 

"     V.  13,  . 

47 

"    X.  7,     . 

68 

"     V.  22,  . 

55 

«     xii.  16-21, 

45 

Eph.  i.  10,   . 

35 

"    xii.  21, 

46 

"    i.  11,    . 

86 

"     xii.  33, 

111 

"     ii.  22.  . 

28 

"     xii.  15, 

105 

"    iii.  10, 

35 

"    xii.  48. 

46 

"    iv.  15, 16, 

65 

«     xiii.  19,  21, 

19 

"    iv.24.    ' 

)  38  94 

"     xviii.  22, 

111 

"     v.  5,     . 

75 

John  xii  6, . 

67 

Phil.  ii.  5-8, 

.  89  96 

"     xii.  3-S, 

68 

"     iv.l5,. 

37 

"     xiii.  29, 

67 

Col.  iii.  5,    . 

.  94  97 

A<-ts  ii.  42.  . 

70 

1  Tim.  vi.  17,  18, 

97 

'•     ii.  44,  45, 

78 

'•     vi.  10, 

.       106 

"     iv.32,  37, 

78 

2Tiin  i.  7,  . 

.       105 

"     V.  4,     . 

79 

'•     iii.  16,17, 

.       105 

"     vi.  4,   . 

78 

Tit.  i.  7,       . 

44 

"     XX.  28, 

33 

James  i.  27, 

97 

«     XX    .35, 

98 

1  Pet.  iv.  10,      2J 

70 

Rom.  viii.  2, 

11 

1  Jno.  ii.  27, 

64 

"     viii.  15, 

40 

"     iii.  14, 

83 

"     viii.  16, 

20 

"     iv.l8.. 

35 

"     viii.  9. 

21 

Rev.  iv.  11,  . 

29 

"     viii.  7, 

40 

"     V.  8,     . 

04 

"     X.  14,    . 

19  112 

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37 

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